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How ‘greatness of heart’ started a Valentine’s Day tradition for Emily Belle Freeman

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Alma 61:9 "I . . . do rejoice in the greatness of your heart"

Not long ago, my friend went through a bad breakup with a lot of disappointment. It was just before Valentine’s Day. It looked to be the worst Valentine’s ever. He woke up feeling so sad and discouraged. Then the Spirit whispered, There are people sadder than you today. Think of how many people won’t receive any flowers. My friend didn’t take the prompting for granted. He went out and bought flowers, and for the remainder of Valentine’s Day he delivered flowers to everyone he could think of who would be spending the day alone. At the end of the night, he showed up at his grandmother’s house with the last flower in his hand. “What are you doing here?” she asked when she opened the door. “You should be out with your friends.” He kissed her on the cheek and told her he loved her and didn’t want her to have a Valentine’s Day without any flowers. She looked up at him and said, “Your grandfather would be so proud.” Now this has become his tradition; he does it every year. And when he gets married, he will do it with his wife. I just love the greatness of his heart. He shared that story with me two days before Valentine’s Day this year, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So that night our family delivered flowers to sixteen widows in our neighborhood. It was the best Valentine’s Day ever. Now it is our tradition too. 

► You may also like: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Creation of Emily Belle Freeman and David Butler's 'Don't Miss This'

Sometimes you meet people who have a greatness of heart. Learn from them. Listen to how they live their lives. Greatness has a way of overflowing, of spreading, of multiplying. If you spend enough time with them, your heart will become greater too.


Editor's note: This article was originally published on LDSLiving.com in February 2020.

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