Think back to the days you were little. You probably got your favorite car or truck for a present, or your favorite doll or kitchen set. Did you love it? Of course you did. Do you remember asking your parents "mommy, daddy come play with me." Did they? If they did, you remember that time as clearly as it was yesterday, and you recall the experience with fond memories. If they didn't, you remember that too but your memory is that of a gift, an inanimate object, that was given to you as a present and you were expected to keep yourself busy with it. A very different memory, won't you agree?

Children are no different than adults. Think of the people you work with, or the people that work for you. You celebrate someone's birthday and you give them a gift certificate to a spa treatment. They appreciate it for sure, but don't you think that they would have appreciated lunch with a few coworkers and several authentic cards even more? It isn't the value of the gift that counts. It is the thought and Time that goes into selecting it, offering it, celebrating it.

I raised my daughter as a single dad, and I gave her the best I could. She got the dolls, and the dresses, and all the things young girls enjoy. But what she recalls most vividly, is the time we spent together braiding her hair, polishing her nails, playing with her dolls, going to a restaurant, making her feel like the princess she was and still is today. I am here to tell you, that every day of her adult life has been a treasure, because unbeknownst to me, the T-I-M-E I spent with her from infancy to adulthood was interpreted as L-O-V-E, and she has shared this with me on several occasions in spoken and written word. In fact, her notes to me from elementary school to college adorn the pages of my book, and serve as a beautiful reminder of the one thing I know I did correctly in my life.

Remember this. Your children will not always need you, but if you gave them your time and love, they would always want you to be near them and figure prominently in their lives. So this Valentine's Day give to those you love the everlasting gift. Your Time!

This is my opinion. It worked for me and it can work for you. You just have to try it!