As I’ve written before, several years ago when I was working on the church book, I spent hours scrolling through the microfiche machine researching old newspapers for information on my parish’s 100-year history. Quite often, other stories caught my attention, and I’d print them off or take a quick screen shot of it, and tuck those away for ‘future writing prompts and stories.’ This is one of them and I thought it perfect for the day of love we celebrate this week.

The text below the picture reads: When this short hair fad bobbed up Mrs. Nellie Tibbetts of Augusta, Me was skeptical of going to the barber’s at the age of 93. But she received a marriage proposal the other day. And now, as above shows, she has had her locks shorn in the mode.

I have no idea when Nellie married Mr. Tibbetts, but it was no doubt around 1915 when according to Google: The bob haircut style first came into popularity in 1915 when the ballroom dancer Irene Castle cut her hair short as a matter of convenience, into what was then referred to as the Castle bob.

I remember reading the little tidbit and chuckling at first, but mostly I was curious about Nellie. Had she been married before? If not, why not? At that time, most women married at 21. So why finally take the plunge at 93? Mr. Tibbetts must have been quite the gentleman to woo Miss Nellie finally to the altar. I wondered if Miss Nellie and Mr. Tibbetts had courted for a number of years or if this was a short-term romance, both of them finally finding ‘the right one’ in their old age.

Was this the first time Miss Nellie had had her ‘locks shorn’? How long they must have been?! Or was she simply concerned the barber wouldn’t cut them right?

Or maybe, she was a widow and cut her hair to discourage the unwanted attention of the unnamed suitor! (But this is a Valentine’s post so we’re not entertaining that idea.)

As a writer, I have all kinds of answers and scenarios about this couple … and there will be a story other than this blog post.

But I absolutely love two things about this woman whom I have absolutely no connection to. One is at 93, she still wanted to look modern and embraced the current hair fashion. How young at heart she must have been. The other is that at her advanced age, she was still open to love, and hopeful, and willing to overcome that hesitation of going to the barber’s.

Doesn’t that little snippet of a story attest to the power of love? (Sorry, I didn’t mean to drop a Huey Lewis and the News earworm). But it’s all there–the joy and expectation, the vulnerability and courage. That impetus for doing something we might not ordinarily do.

As I put this post together, I thought of some of the ‘out of the ordinary’ things I’ve done for love. Pulling up stakes in Ohio and moving to the Carolinas was a biggie. Learning how to give my daughter shots while she was undergoing chemo was another. But most of the things I–and all of us–do for love aren’t biggies.

I always got a kick watching the reaction of one or two people in my adult bible study group when we’d unpack ‘the love scripture’, 1 Corinthians 13, ‘Love is patient …’ We’ve gotten so used to hearing the passage at weddings that to take those words and apply them to everyday life outside of marriage–which was the original intent–forces us to really think about what it’s asking. Being patient and kind can seem a breeze compared to the later verses that are often skimmed over, the ones about not being rude, and not brooding over injuries. It was always interesting to hear the conditions some of my study peers wanted to put on the scripture: but the guy next door …, you mean even …,

I think it’s the everyday practices of patience, kindness, sacrifice that are the most challenging. Yet we do them.

Moving to the Carolinas and giving shots to my daughter weren’t ‘easy’, but they were easier than sometimes being patient when I’m in a hurry and the person driving in front of me on a curvy road insists on driving below the speed limit. Yet …

I have friends who dismiss Valentine’s Day as simply a way for Hallmark and Whitman’s to make a few bucks. ‘We should show our love every day, not just on some commercial holiday.’ I get their cynicism and agree–we should show our love every day. I imagine most of us do. Yet sometimes every day weights get heavy, and 24 hours slip by quickly and there hasn’t been much love. Maybe a day once a year to simply stop and take stock of how we’re doing isn’t a bad thing. And to celebrate our little victories with a piece or two of chocolate or a $10.00 bouquet of flowers from the grocery store because we’re worthy of love, too. And the forgiveness of falling short.

Whether you have a special Valentine or not, may you experience love this week. And I do hope Miss Nellie and Mr. Tibbetts had a wonderful life together, even if it may not have been a long one! See you next Monday.