Day Twenty Six-Special Dates

I am not a big fan of "special dates"......Valentine's Day for instance. They tend to bring back images of high school, peer pressure days and Janis Ian's "At Seventeen".  That being said, I have found it to be of note that those who spout disdain over the commercialism/consumerism of "special dates" tend to be the same folk who generally make no effort to acknowledge any other random day of the year.  They just like to justify their lack of effort by sounding intellectual.  In general.......
My family is traditionally Japanese-American.  We don't say "I love you", or hug, or openly express emotion.  When I say "we" I really don't mean me because (as might have become apparent by now) I tend to be a live grenade of touchy-feely emotions.  In any case, my mom used to occasionally stop at this little dress shop on her way home from work. Most of the time she didn't purchase anything for herself but she would often come home with a little toy for me.  It wasn't anything expensive or elaborate...usually just a tiny stuffed doll.  I still have every one of those toys that she brought home for me.  Even just recalling receiving those items from her...all those many, many years ago...will bring tears to my eyes because I knew that she was thinking about me and it wasn't because it was my birthday...I didn't do anything noteworthy...I might not even have been on my best behavior that day but she wanted me to know that I was on her mind.
Words are important.  Grand gestures are always lovely.  A good hug is priceless.  But it's amazing how just a small thoughtful act on any random day can sustain you for a lifetime.