Family Talk By Jim Priest Jim Priest Is Ceo Of Goodwill Industries Of Central Oklahoma And Can Be Reached At Jpriest@ Okgoodwill.org.

I’m not very good with numbers. That’s why I went to law school. They told me there wouldn’t be any math. But accountants know about numbers and when my accountant, Mike Bell, talks numbers, I listen carefully.

Mike once told me, “One is not enough. You need fourteen.”

“Fourteen what?” I asked numbly, assuming he was referring to something like fourteen tax exemptions.

“Days” replied Mike. “One day is not enough to tell someone you love them. You need the fourteen days of Valentine.”

I had heard of the twelve days of Christmas, but never the fourteen days of Valentine. I was intrigued and asked my CPA to itemize his deductions about Valentine’s Day.

“People tend to rush through Valentine’s Day,” Mike explained. “They give a card or buy a box of candy, and it’s over. That’s why my wife and I started doing the fourteen days of Valentine. We buy small gifts or cards for each other and start giving them on February 1. That way, when Valentine’s Day rolls around, we’ve had two weeks of hearing about our love for each other.”

I have to admit, Mike has set a high standard for the rest of us. Most men think about Valentine’s Day somewhere around 4:30 p.m. on February 13. We scramble around at the last minute trying to find red lingerie and a picked over greeting card. By the time you read this article, it will be too late to start Mike’s tradition this year, but what if we implemented a belated Valentine’s version of Mike’s idea? Here are some ideas that might work for your fourteen days of Valentine:

Give words of affirmation. Each day from February 14th through the end of the month, give your loved one a note that tells one thing you like about him or her.

Give one flower each day for the fourteen days. Attach a note with a complimentary word that describes your loved one.

Give gifts with a theme for fourteen days. One man gave his wife a bracelet that said “Always” on it. In the days that followed he rented the movie “Always”, gave her the song “Always and forever”, sent her balloons with the word “Always” on them and bought her a desk plaque that read “Always”. After fourteen days she got the message!

Mike is right. One day is not enough. This year, let’s celebrate Valentine’s Day for arly and long.. And you don’t have to limit your love message to a spouse or “significant other”. Do it with your kids, with that elderly neighbor who is a widow or widower, or even a special friend who means a lot to you. Love is too big to be contained in just one day, or with just one person. Spread love beyond Valentine’s Day!