To Inspire:

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and while some cynics amongst us choose to ignore the holiday, many people recognize it as an opportunity to express love for romantic partners, family, and friends. And what better way to impress your loved one than with a handmade gift? Below are five examples of incredible gifts, inspired by acts of love, that have changed our lives.

Magnetic Shirt Buttons – Maura Horton’s husband, Don, was a North Carolina State University football coach who had Parkinson’s disease. One day, after Don struggled to button his shirt before a game, Horton decided there needed to be a better clothing option for people with disabilities. So, Maura solved the problem herself, designing a shirt with magnetic buttons called MagnaReady in 2012.

Garbage Disposal – John W. Hammes, an architect from Wisconsin created and patented the In-Sink-Erator garbage disposal in 1935. Hammes said he got the idea after watching his wife spend time wrapping food in newspaper and throwing it out. He wanted an easier way for her to dispose of the garbage.

Band-Aid – In the 1920s, Josephine Knight Dickson from New Jersey kept cutting herself while cooking for her family. Her husband Earle Dickson, a cotton buyer for Johnson & Johnson, invented a temporary adhesive bandage for his wife. His creation became the Band-Aid we all know and use today.

Baking Soda – In the 1800s, English food manufacturer and chemist Alfred Bird changed the face of baking forever when he created the earliest form of baking soda. According to The Oxford Companion to Food, he invented it for his wife, Elizabeth, who was allergic to yeast and eggs, so she, too, could enjoy delicious baked goods.

Surgical Gloves – William Stewart Halsted, M.D. (1852 – 1922) the U.S. surgeon who is often called the “Father of Modern Surgery,” invented rubber gloves that allowed surgeons to lessen the transfer of germs while they worked. But the actual origin of why he created them is more romantic than you would think. Halsted’s wife, Caroline, was a nurse who suffered from dermatitis, so Halsted invented the gloves especially for her and gave them to her as a gift after their marriage.

While your gifts for loved ones may not impact things the way these inventions did, all gifts – large or small – given with love get to the heart of 1 Corinthians 16:14, which says “Let all that you do be done in love.”

Written by Michelle O’Brien, Manager of Marketing & Communications

Source: Kaupish, Kaylin. 8 Famous Inventions Inspired by Love. Guideposts.com