Today is many things for me. It marks the 12th anniversary from the day I met Ivan, and brought him home to be my first soul mate. One year later on February 14th, I opened the door to my first classroom as a brand new teacher on the job. 5 years ago I made my way to DC for the first time to surprise Scott on Valentine’s Day. 

I don’t need to write a post romanticizing my husband (oh hey, Scott, it’s our first married Valentine’s Day…) nor do I feel the need to wax poetic about my love for the dog, though he’ll get his snuggles later. 

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I feel the most need to address this community of people who are my friends, my colleagues, acquaintances, and now, our patrons and supporters of this next chapter at the Factory. 

I love Medina, and if there is a soul who loves it more than I, I am married to him. And collectively, we have such pride in each and every crevice of our hometown. We love it for what it was, what it is, and what we know it can be. We love to walk the side streets at night with Ivan and admire the historic homes. We love the Marching band pizza sales, the intimacy of the summer Farmer’s Market, and though it means not fully seeing the parade, we love the throngs of people lined up to witness the spectacle of lights during Olde Tyme Christmas. 

We love the shop owners and small business advocates who look to promote each other, boost each other up, and collaborate in a joint sense of community. We love the volunteers who work tirelessly to make our village beautiful, and we are grateful for our Police and Fire Departments who help to protect and keep us safe. We are indebted to the nurses and doctors at Medina Memorial, the place of my birth, and the teachers who are exhausted today and in desperate need of a break so as to recharge from the challenge of changing lives every day.

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Oh, what a beautiful place we live.

And now that I’ve explained to you why I love Medina  and the people who join me in calling it “home,” I ask this of all of you: let’s be the city upon a hill, if you will. Let us work together to continue to better the community, and encourage new business without the fear of losing our stake or claim on an idea. Let us frequent each other’s establishments, open the doors for new creativity and collaboration, and praise each other for success. Those of you in Medina who help keep small businesses open, we thank you for your friendly feedback and your constructive encouragement in our endeavors. Continue to push us, challenge us, and let us know when we are doing a good job. 

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I’ve learned a lot in the last two weeks – we both have- but I never knew how my world would change when I stopped being just a resident of this town I love, and more a part of it. I am meeting new faces every time I step foot into the Factory, and I feel an overwhelming need to do Medina justice to all that come to witness this renaissance. 

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We are all Medina. 

Maybe it’s because my classroom is shrouded in pink and red decor right now, or I’ve eaten one too many of Abby’s Valentine’s Day cupcakes and I’m sugar buzzing with all the feels. But today, I’m really loving you, Medina. So do me a favor – go “like” the businesses that you frequent and enjoy on Facebook, or better yet stop in if you can, and let them know they are doing a good job, and there is nothing wrong with a friendly hug or two  along the way. 

Happy Valentine’s Day, all.