Valentine Box
February is a short but busy month. It is Black History Month; there’s a federal holiday for Presidents Day & most memorable of all is Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine & became associated with romance & love in the 14th & 15th centuries.
The thought is that lovebirds arrive in early spring & Valentine’s Day grew into an occasion of love by presenting flowers, offering confectionary, & sending greeting cards.
I remember that in grade school, the teacher would place a box in the classroom a few days before Valentine’s Day. The box had an opening in the top & that’s where you would drop your valentines. It was exciting to see how many valentines would have your name on them when the box was opened.
If you had a secret sweetheart, you would watch their reaction when they opened your card. And you were crushed if, after opening it, they didn’t give you a smile or secret wink & just dropped it in their pile of other cards.
Valentine’s Day could be disappointing in different ways because not all the kids’ parents had money to spend on valentines, so there were times when everyone was shortchanged, both on the giving & receiving end. Our teacher understood this, & would provide paper materials for us to hand-make our valentines.
This habit has never left me as I still make & give valentines. I enjoy the excitement of getting those little pastel candy hearts with the words like “be mine” or “love u” written on them. No matter how old you are, I don’t think you ever outgrow the need to receive a valentine.
For me, Valentine’s Day isn’t just for romance. It’s a time to rekindle some of the anticipation & silly fun I had as a kid. I wish there could still be a valentine’s box. And, I wish I had a valentine or two in the box with my name on them.
Will you be my valentine?