Riiinnnnnggg. The sound broke my concentration, and I reached for the black receiver. On this late February 29th afternoon in 1972, I was alone in my university dorm room working on assignments. Graduation drew closer with every passing day.
The voice on the other end of the line brought a smile to my face. My Daddy. “Hey Deb! I’ve been on a trip, and I’m driving back through campus on my way home. Let me take you out for a steak dinner. And see if you can find that boyfriend of yours. I would like to treat him as well.”
Since I could not locate that boyfriend (I think he was on football assignment in the weight room) my father and I shared a wonderful dinner alone during which he emphasized my unique opportunity. According to tradition, on February 29th, women were sanctioned to propose to men. Was I aware of this? Now I understood—no wonder he wanted me to bring Larry to dinner!
Well, I did not propose to Larry, and it would be nearly a year before he proposed to me. However, the memory of that evening with my dad brings a smile each time Leap Year rolls around: a timely phone call, a daddy-daughter dinner, and a heartwarming memory.
Now in 2024, Leap Year and February 29th await us. Perhaps one of the 29 ideas below will motivate you to make a Leap Year memory, alone or with someone else.
29 Ideas for Creating a Leap Year Memory
1. Read Proverbs 29
2. Ask yourself, “If I could just leap over any problem in my life, which problem would I choose?”
3. Brainstorm 29 ideas (places to visit, books to read) to pursue in the next 4 years
4. Read 29 pages in your favorite book
5. Take 29 cookies to a homeless shelter
6. Phone 29 friends you haven’t seen since the last Leap Year and surprise them with a cheerful greeting
7. Listen to 29 minutes of classical music
8. Take a 29 minute nap
9. Put 29 cents into a new piggy bank, and add to it for the next 4 years. Make plans to treat yourself in 2028.
10. Call someone born on Leap Year and wish him or her Happy Birthday
11. Take 29 one-dollar bills and give them out one at a time, letting the Holy Spirit guide you with wisdom and discernment
12. Sleep-in an extra 29 minutes on Leap Year morning
13. Take 29 items from you pantry to a local food bank
14. Share with your family a Leap Year memory from your childhood
15. Clean out your closet and give away 29 items
16. Write a note to your spouse which includes 29 reasons of your love and appreciation
17. Do 29 sit-ups
18. Brainstorm 29 blessings that spontaneously come to mind
19. Pray 29 minutes for your pastor
20. Climb 29 stairs instead of taking the elevator to your office
21. Pay a compliment to 29 people you interface with through the course of your day
22. Make a list of “29 Reasons I Am Grateful for My Inlaws”
23. Go to the florist section of your grocery and select 29 inexpensive flowers to individually give away today (teacher, postal lady, receptionist, fast food drive through window)
24. Get up 29 minutes earlier on Leap Year morning
25. Ask yourself: “What is the most significant event in my life since the last Leap Year in 2020?”
26. Pass around a paper at the dinner table for all members to contribute: “29 Reasons Why We Like Our Family”
27. Do a Google search on Leap Year traditions in countries other than your own
28. Reflect on 29 pieces of advice that have changed your life
29. Like my Daddy, surprise your student who is away at university, and show up to take her out to dinner. With loving tenderness, she will treasure the memory 52 years later, long after you are gone.
Living With Eternal Intentionality®
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom You have sent” (John 17:3).
“Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings” (Daniel 2: 20-23).
What is most striking to you about Leap Year?
What can we learn about God as we have one more day added to our calendars?
Would you please share a Leap Year memory?
