February contains a day that is commonly associated with love.

It is reported that over 1 billion cards are sent celebrating Valentine’s Day in the US each year (second only to Christmas).

When asked to define love, one gets a multitude of responses.
For instance:

• You can’t put a price tag on love, but you can on all its accessories!
• Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species.
• All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt!
• Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties.
• I was nauseous and tingly all over. I was either in love, or I had smallpox.
• The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.
• Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
• Love is extremely important in our lives, yet the truth is that love is difficult to define.

Love is difficult because it is forged over time, often miscommunicated, and falsely understood.

Part of the hard work of “restoring the identity” of foster kids is shaping a new belief of how to be loved and how to love others.

Love is hard work and more often looks like a battlefield than a field of roses.

Love involves long talks late at night, replacing negative thoughts with hope, and pushing through barriers to break into kid’s hearts.

Love is formed through forgiveness, not being pushed away, and doing whatever it takes.

The Children’s Home is a place where love dwells -the kind of love that rebuilds lives and transforms future families. This is a place where the entire community pours itself out sacrificially so you see what love is before you even understand it.

Here at The Children’s Home, kids learn to love and to be loved.

Thank you for being a part of this dynamic process, helping us show love, the powerful component that has been changing the lives of kids for 93 years.

Happy Valentines Day,

Darrin Murphy, President
Amarillo Children’s Home