In 2017, Maria left for a two-week trip to India, our most extended separation ever; she was thousands of miles away.

I was proud of her and excited for her going, and it was a difficult trip that she handled beautifully and skillfully. Before she left, she etched this Valentine’s Day message for me as a surprise for Valentine’s Day.

I was shocked and grateful to see this; she felt close to me, even when she was so far away. I looked at the valentine every day, usually more than once.

The sheep were due to give birth while she was gone, and they did. It was a difficult time for me; lots were happening on the farm, and I missed Maria; she was so far away and in such a challenging place.

The trip to India was an excellent experience; she loved every minute, even the trouble she had getting a plane to bring her home. Maria is much like me; she is always anxious about the wrong things. She wasn’t afraid of the trip.

We had a wonderful dog and farm caretaker at the time, but I hired a young woman who lived close by and grew up on a farm and helped me to care for the sheep and the barn. She came by each morning. I was very grateful to her, getting help was Maria’s idea, she was worried about me, even then.

Separation like that is a healthy thing for a marriage, I think. We both learned how much we loved one another, and urging me to get help was a loving message and a great idea.

The dog and farm caretaker quit and refused to speak to me again. She never explained, but I imagine she was offended somehow. That was painful for me, and I guess for her. She refused to take my calls or answer my messages. The young woman I hired stopped by every morning to clean the barn, check the water, help with the lambs, and haul the hay.

She knew how to handle a farm.

I would have had a lot of trouble without her.

It is easy to offend people, as I have learned more than once. And some people would rather storm away than talk about it. It’s often about them and not me. That hurt still sings, but the valentine is lovely to see. I still think about it when I think of the Valentine.

I was rarely so happy as when Maria finally pulled into the driveway, home. I forget about the Valentine’s Day message sometimes. Maria always seems to be getting stronger.

I saw the Valentine yesterday while helping Maria seal the barn windows that the pigeons have broken.

I felt a lift in my heart and sadness as well. Valentine’s Day  Card will last long; we’ll never take it down.

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The pigeon wars. Maria put up some hardware cloth and tapes yesterday; most of the pigeons are gone, and the mother of two babies is hanging in there; we’re leaving her al ne. This was a tough job that took ho rs. I’ve decided it’s patronizing to keep praising Maria for her work here as if it’s a surprise.

It isn’t, and she is eager to do it when she an. She asks for help when she ca ‘t. She doesn’t seek or need praise for the hard work she d es. It is who she is and who she wants to be.