Do you remember when you were little? At the end of January your teacher would pass out the white doilies and construction paper , thus began the treasured task of making Valentines for everyone in your class! I remember the coming holiday with so much anticipation and excitement because of the coming written words from fellow friends and classmates.
I can remember my fancy WHITE paper lunch bag that Mrs. Barkel, my 4th grade teacher, passed out to our class of 30 kids, for us to decorate and hang with scotch tape on the door to her coat closet. We had to be sure to write our names REALLY BIG so that other children would be able to find our bag. I also remember having to go up in groups to drop the cards into each bag, hoping that I wouldn’t snag another child’s bag with my shirt sleeve, ripping it from the wall.
I dropped in my Valentines because I wanted so badly to get Valentines.. I wanted those words of affirmation so badly, I would read and re-read them. I saved them, put them under my bed, and would read them again on days when I needed a pick me up. The only candy I recall is the red heart box from the Hallmark store that Lady Diana (Mom) would buy for each of us. I remember pushing my finger up from the bottom of the candy to see what kind of chocolate it was, I was looking for the caramel. The finger through the bottom of the chocolate method saved me from the awful surprise of biting into the fruity raspberry fluff chocolate.
What I really treasured and remember is that I got cards for Valentine’s Day; more specifically, handwritten cards with words on them. Something that I have done in the past, and will do this year, are simple but so meaningful.
Every day leading up to Valentine’s day, write a SHORT note or kind word on a 3X5 card (you can fancy this up and make a heart or buy paper, but the sentiment is what is really important) and tape it on your child’s bedroom door (or bathroom mirror). My kids left these up until the messages fell down. After a day or so, they started looking for them. I did this for DKC as well! He still has some of his up from the last time.
Lookup funnykidjokes.com and scratch out a short joke on an index card (or a napkin) and pop it in their lunchbox. This makes for fun at the lunchroom table. Beware: once you start this, they will be hooked. You might take a minute and write out a week’s worth of one liners so that you are never in a pinch.
Those who know me, know I love sending and receiving handwritten cards. They can be simple, short, and so incredibly important to the person you send a card to, especially now that we can communicate so much faster with our phones. Who do you have in your life that you appreciate, love, miss, feel grateful for/to? Perhaps you have a teacher, mentor, former colleague, old roommate, high school friend, or a family member who comes to mine. That’s just the person you should send a note to.
Let the spirit of Valentine’s Day inspire you to get your pen out and write all the beautiful thoughts you are thinking…
Do you have any Valentine’s Day memories to share?
Originally posted 2020-02-09 02:53:12.
