I have had three experiences in the last few weeks that have stayed on my mind as I’ve contemplated Valentine’s Day. I think they all point to one of the greatest needs of the human heart. Come on a little tour with me of three very different experiences that led me to one conclusion.

On the last day of January four couples, all neighbors on our street, gathered together to enjoy each other’s company and good cooking. All of us have lived here at least 20 years.

When the eight of us gathered at the table for our main course, we toasted to health and friendship. We made it a point to look each person in the eye as we touched glasses. Although there was happy banter, there was also some honest sharing about difficulties and pain. A little laughter, and a few tears. We were all closer as a result of the night.

We had a one year-old named Anthony visit our house when we had his folks over for dinner. When he arrived in his mother’s arms, he was shy at first. He burrowed his face into her shoulder, so I stood off a little way and covered my face with my hands. When I said that one little phrase, “peek-a-boo,” he lifted his head and almost smiled.

I played the little game with him until he was comfortably interacting with me, and wanted “down.” Within a few minutes, he was walking around exploring what proved to be my successfully baby-proofed house. By the time we finished dinner, he was peacefully snoozing in his portable crib.

Lenny and I went to see the movie “Avatar” a few weeks ago. The story was a bit heavy-handed, but it was an effective vehicle for an endless barrage of amazing special effects. A few days later I went to see it again with my sister.

It wasn’t that the film moved me. I wasn’t enthralled by the cross-species love affair, or the courage of the hero. There was just so much to see, and I enjoyed the tour of Pandora just as much the second time. But there was one thing that haunted me each time: the greeting of the fictional Navi people.

So what is it that ties all these things together? When we actually looked in our neighbor’s eyes, we knew that we were all looking out for each other. The game of peek-a-boo helps a child see that when someone disappears, they come back again. And in “Avatar” the greeting of the Navi was “I see you.”

Valentine’s Day can be a day of hope for young love, a day of romance for the committed love, and a day of pain for the lonely or bereaved. It might just be a good time to say to someone, “I see you.”

To be known, to be seen, to be acknowledged: isn’t that what everybody really wants?

Patty Luzzi has lived on the Eastside for 32 years. Readers can contact her at pattyluzzi@yahoo.com.