Valentine’s is a special day out of the year dedicated to the celebration of love. However, it has become somewhat more of a competition nowadays. Who can buy the bigger box of candy? Which boyfriend can lavish his girlfriend with the most expensive gifts? Even simply, who has a significant other that loves them and who does not? These may be a more vain way of saying “I love you”, but there are other true acts of love which people participate in throughout the rest of the 364 days of the year and that uphold the actual meaning of love.
1. When an entire neighborhood learned sign language in order to better talk to a deaf neighbor.
2. When Hungarians brought their shoes to the Budapest train station for arriving immigrants.
3. When this 8 year old boy grew his hair out for 2 years so he could cut and donate it to make wigs for kids with cancer.
4. This barber (who is a former addict) cuts homeless people's hair on his day off.
5. This 103 year old woman who celebrated her birthday by dressing up as Wonder Woman and volunteering at the senior center.
6. This man who donated bone marrow to a girl when she was 13 which helped cure her of leukemia. At 24 years old, she was engaged to be married. He was not only invited to her wedding, but she shared her first dance with him.
7. This mom who adopted all 4 of her best friend's daughters after she died of brain cancer.
8. This coffee shop that lets stray dogs sleep inside every night when it closes.
9. This man who bought turtles from a food market and then released them back into the sea.
10. This elderly man who helped teach this young man how to tie a tie.
11. This man who returned to Fukushima to feed the animals that were left behind.
12. This little boy with Downs's Syndrome who met his favorite band, Maroon 5, and was so excited that he had a panic attack and had to lie down. Maroon 5 lied down with him until it passed.
13. This cop who was called regarding a noise complaint of kids on the street playing basketball. When he arrived, he joined in and played with them.
14. This man who teaches his wife how to read again after she had a stroke and could not remember.
15. Last, but not least – A Kenyan boy turned Stanford student named Kimeli Naiyomah rallied his tribe back home to donate 14 cows, one of the most precious items one can own, and donated them to America after 9/11. Unfortunately, America could not accept the cows due to logistical and monetary problems. However, in a way of saying thank you, the U.S. set up 14 scholarships for local boys and girls in the village to attend school. Those scholarships are still in effect today. The “American” cattle remained in Kenya and is being cared for by the elders of Kimeli’s tribe. If you ever go there, you’ll know which ones are “America’s” by the special Twin Tower markings on their ears.
