Valentine is healing in many ways

September 15, 2021 0 Comments

When I was a kid, it was a lot of fun to make Valentine’s for every member of my class. Valentine is healing in many ways. I felt the good feeling of doing something for someone else.

Looking back in time, I realize now, Mom was probably just looking for projects to keep me and my three sisters busy for a couple of afternoons. We cut and glue, cut and fold. I loved the color pink, so it came as no surprise when all my Valentine’s cards had more pink and that I had a bit of a mastery over the pink crayon from the crayon set the sisters shared.

Mom made sure that we took a break with hot cocoa and marshmallows on the porch so as not to spoil our Valentine’s Day and not to get too tired before our mission was accomplished. It was an exciting time of the school year.

Being the youngest of the four, Mom helped my Valentine’s cards “just a little bit” to make them presentable. We lived on a simple budget, so the store bought Valentines package had to be shared between us. She also bought a box of Valentine’s candy and we carefully put a candy on each Valentine’s Day. I had four store Valentines and twenty-two homemade Valentines when I left for school on Valentine’s Day morning.

Of course, my teacher would get a store bought by Valentine and I had also made her the largest homemade. Then there were my two best friends, Elaine and Joanna. I had made them a homemade Valentine plus a Valentine from the store. I had a Valentine store left and couldn’t think of one more person to give it to. It was so special.

My teacher had reserved the afternoon for exchanging Valentine’s. It was hard for everyone to think about school work when so much was going to happen that day. All morning I looked around the room to see someone who would get my last special Valentine store. I discussed it with my two friends and they also made suggestions, but those who suggested were more their friends and I was a “companion”.

Then it was time for the exchange and the energy level in the classroom intensified to a great roar. Notes flying across the room and everyone smiling. I have twenty-four Valentine’s. Most of my Valentines had candy too, so I thought I had a good trade-off. Valentine is healing in many ways and I knew he had many friends.

Despite all the excitement, I forgot about my last Valentine special store. As I was walking home from the bus, I remembered. When I turned the last corner, I saw Dad’s car parked in the driveway. Love swelled inside of me and I had such a good idea. I ran to the house, took out the crayons and the paper.

I did one more Valentine. A big one with a lot of pink because I knew Mom liked pink too. Probably that’s where I came up with the idea that it was my color. I wrote “I Love You” on the back of both Valentines. Then I gave the Valentine from a store to dad and the homemade Valentine to mom.

They were so surprised that Daddy took me in his arms and told me that he had never had such a sweet “Milly” in his life. I knew it was special. It was the first sunrise in my little heart that I was born to my “best friends”.

Now that I’m older, I still remember the good times we had on Valentine’s Day. My first grade friends have lost track, but the memories of the love I felt from my parents will last forever. Valentine is healing in many ways. Valentine’s Day is one more opportunity to heal a heart by saying the three words, “I love you.”

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