Is Valentine’s Day becoming a thing of the past? I hope not. When I was in junior high, a boy I hardly knew gave me a huge, ruffled, sparkly box of chocolates – in the middle of a bustling, loud hallway filled with 13 year olds, most of whom stopped to gawk at the exchange. I was mortified and thrilled at the same time, and I kept that box for a decade.

My family is blessed to span four generations. I think we all look at Valentine’s Day differently, except for the fact we want to share our affections with the people we love. Here are some tips on the best way to reach out to your Valentines, no matter how old or young they might be.

The Greatest Generation and Pre-Baby Boomers (anyone born before 1946): Visit in person. These loved ones deserve a hug and a “thank you”. Remind them how much they mean to you. Bring flowers. Be thankful you can visit with them and not just leave a bouquet in their memory.

Boomers (born 1946 – 1960): Send a traditional Valentine by mail, then pick up the phone and call. If they don’t answer their cell, try their landline because you know they still have one. Speak up!  Don’t forget to say “I Love You”, because it will mean the world to them.

Gen X (born 1961 – 1984): Email these guys because they are way too busy with soccer games, PTA meetings, business trips, aging parents and family bonding.  Want to make them laugh? Try a JibJab video or a BitStrip.

GEN Y (hard to define, maybe born mid-70s – 2000): Post something on their Facebook. Overshare. If you’re romantically involved, change your status to “in a relationship” and text them something slightly naughty. If you can meet in person, bring cupcakes – preferably vegan, possibly baked with Kale juice.

Millennials (mid 80s to 2004): Keep it simple because you probably only have six seconds of attention.  ‘Gram ‘em, or send a Vine video. If you are more than casual friends, try SnapChat.

Tweens: Don’t even try. Really. Leave the chocolate on the table and back away slowly.

Toddlers: Buy candy, then unwrap it slowly and quietly while standing behind the door in the laundry room. Trust me - they will find you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Don’t we all need a little validation, just to know that we make a difference in someone’s lives?

Confession – I’ve been married for years. Valentine’s Day was never a big deal for my husband, who just isn’t a gift-giver. It’s OK – he makes up for it in so many other ways, I don’t mind (most days). He validates me with his words and actions every day. I hope I do the same for him.

I’ve never been a woman who needs a lot of approval from those around me. In fact, I think most of my friends would say that I don’t handle compliments that well. But I do need to see little signs that what I’m doing is worthwhile.  I once heard a wonderful Ted Talk about carrying imaginary little silver boxes to hand out to people who make a difference in your day. So I try to do that – thank people who are helpful, share a laugh or a smile with someone giving special effort in their job, etc. It brightens my day to give out these little boxes. I hope they see it in some small way as a validation.

Since launching our new app, Tykester, I spend a good amount of my day looking for validation. Trying to find out IF people are using it. And WHY they are using it (or why NOT?). I can see visible proof that thousands of people are using it. But we see very little feedback on what their experience is, unless, of course, they are having a problem (spotty WIFI providers, you are my enemies!!!).

I didn’t go into this endeavor trying to be an app developer. My partners and I went into this project thinking “maybe we can help ease a new mom’s pain of being away from their brand new baby when they go back to work.” That is all. We didn’t know exactly how to fix the problem, we just knew we wanted to help – and specifically, we wanted to help our partner, Megan, see updates from her nanny for her baby boy, Ben.

We started with a purpose and let that purpose lead us to the answer. It was a loooong road, just in case you’re wondering if launching an app is a simple and speedy process. Validation came in only tiny little spurts. It was a lot like trying to save money by collecting pennies – it isn’t obvious you’re making any headway until you’ve got a full spare coin jar in front of you.

So it is so nice to find these little tidbits on my Twitter feed - or in my email inbox - that tell me, yes, someone IS using the app, and they love it! I get them from unexpected sources, like a brand new day care center in a small town trying to upgrade their daily communication, a summer day camp looking to stay in touch with parents, or a teen saving for college by babysitting who wants to use the app as a competitive advantage. These are my Tykester moments.

I will gladly take these as my validation – my little silver boxes that prove we did it. We are making a difference in people’s lives.

Happy Valentine’s Day to me!