When introduced in the seventh grade to the story of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, I have to admit I was most interested in the description of the character’s gross nose. But I also responded to the 19th century setting and, of course, the love story, in particular the character’s willingness to be used as a bridge for love despite his own interests.

Recently, while having lunch with my friend Wendy, she shared a story about her father, one that reminded me of the lesson I learned from reading Cyrano de Bergerac.

Wendy’s father, Kalmon Waxman, graduated from college with a degree in bacteriology just before America entered World War II. Like many young men of his day, after marrying his local sweetheart he enlisted in the army. He was sent from his home in New England to basic training in Georgia.

When the doctor-to-be was placed on ammunition detail, he told his sergeant that this assignment did not use his greatest skill and asked to be transferred to the medical unit. When the sergeant wouldn’t listen, Mr. Waxman began volunteering at the base hospital on his days off. Once there, his talent as a doctor was recognized and his transfer papers came through. Soon however, his skills were needed in the Pacific campaign and he was relocated to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska where the United States forces were trying to eject the Japanese from the island chain.

Far away from home, Mr. Waxman took solace in writing letters to his new bride. His fellow soldiers noticed and asked if after he finished writing he would read to them the letters they had received from home. These solider were illiterate and their love letters had actually become a source of shame due to their inability to decipher the words penned on the carefully folded pages.

Soon word spread around the base of Mr. Waxman’s willingness to read. More and more men asked him to read their letters and then urged him to help write their loved ones back. The number of illiterate soldiers surprised Mr. Waxman and although his free time was limited, he responded to all requests, acting as a bridge between the soldiers and those on the homefront worrying about their safety. During Mr. Waxman’s tour he wrote and read hundreds of letters for his fellow enlisted soldiers.

I was so impressed with this story that later in the evening I shared it with another friend whose six-year-old child was playing close by. When I finished the story the daughter stopped playing, looked up at me and asked why the soldiers didn’t just Skype.

Funny as her perspective was, it made me consider the possibilities of our new technology to be used as a bridge for love, particularly on Valentine’s Day. Other than the obvious dating sites there are so many other sites that deserve our attention. Here are a few of my favorites.

For many years I have been a USO volunteer but recently when I wanted to continue to assist the troops but found no USO office nearby, I turned to the web. There I found many sites that allowed me to still support deployed troops and their families. One such site is anysolider.com. This volunteer organization helps send letters and packages to soldiers who, for whatever reason, do not receive any mail or packages from home.

My dear friend and her family who are experiencing a health-related crisis have turned to two Web sites for help, both of which are free. Caringbridge.org helps simplify the massive amounts of communication often necessary when in crisis. The site becomes a home base of sorts for postings for all parties so friends and loved ones can keep track of one’s health-related journey and respond with messages of their own. Lotsofhelpinghands.com is a calendar program that allows one to post whatever needs they have during the months in crisis and friends can visit the site and sign up to help as their schedules allow.

The mission of Heifer International (heifer.org) is to end poverty and hunger in a sustainable fashion. The organization allows a person to give through monetary contributions the gifts of livestock, seeds, trees and training to those in need around the world. The Web site is user friendly, upbeat and suitable for children too. It has colorful pictures and explains how a family in another country will use the gift.

For those who are less cyber-focused, there are still many opportunities on-Island for spreading Valentine’s Day love to a wider reach than just a sweetheart. One example is donating food or time to the many community suppers occurring each week. Each of these suppers often feeds 80 to 100 Vineyarders a night. Portions of the meals are donated by local stores such as the Black Dog and Stop and Shop, but the heart of the suppers is the local community members who volunteer, coordinate the donations, cook the meals, provide the side dishes and serve.

Valentine’s Day celebrates the gift of love. However, there is no reason this has to be a private affair between couples. As Mother Teresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

Sharon-Frances Moore lives in Vineyard Haven and contributes occasionally to the Gazette.