Valentines are set aside for a thoughtful kind of caring. We send cards to others to thank them for their sharing. We feel grateful for their laughter, for their kindness, for their light. When we think of our dear friends, their gifts shine clear and bright. Our gratitude toward those we love is a true and healing part Of honoring our blessings with a full and thankful heart. Yet if we fail to see ourselves as someone we hold dear, Something vital will be missing in our lives throughout the year. When we think of precious friends, we see their gifts so true, Yet with ourselves we're apt to see those things we didn't do. Our focus on what's missing often makes us unaware Of all the gifts we bring to life, of the "us" who's truly there. The sun is inconsistent and doesn't always give us light. It also fails to warm us in the stillness of the night. Yet we think of it as warming and we see it as life-giving. We notice how its attributes enhance our way of living. * * * What if you began to see yourself the way you see the sun? What if you focused on your attributes, on all the good you've done? What if you honored your true worth and saw with eyes anew, The rare and honest blessing of a precious friend like you?

This valentine poem is sent to you as the first of my new Simple Wisdom For Challenging Times News Letters When we think of self-caring, all too often we think of the thoughtful things we might do for ourselves. Yet this thoughtful sort of "doing" has a way of getting lost in the business of living. What if true self-caring came instead with the consistent, positive, affirming and appreciative thoughts we can learn to think about ourselves? When we see others through positive, affirming, appreciative eyes, we carry them gently in our hearts and do our best to add to the quality of their lives. Imagine what might happen if we saw ourselves this way? How might the quality of our lives change if we created an ongoing list of what we appreciate in ourselves, by adding just one new self-appreciation each day? If you have enjoyed this first newsletter please send it on to your friends who might enjoy it too. I believe that each of us, in our own way, is created to make a difference. The more positive and purposeful our personal lives become, the more we participate in creating a world that reflects the best in each of each of us. Let us join together in shedding light on this powerful possibility. Yours, Gail Van Kleeck