Remembering Valentine’s Day

Posted on January 31, 2015 by bob in EdNote

Not as thrilling as Christmas, or as exciting as Halloween, I always viewed St. Valentine’s Day as a charity holiday, thrown in to keep the winter blahs at bay. What’s more, with no school vacation (even the State Fair warranted a half-day off) and little commercial build-up (from a child’s perspective, at least) it seemed a purer holiday than all the rest – a day set aside solely for telling those closest to you how very nice you thought they were.

Even so, Valentine’s Day could be exhausting, forcing me to muster every creative bone in my not-so-creative young body. For weeks before the big event I stressed over the inevitable elementary school assignment to design and produce unique valentines for my family and outshine my efforts from last year. (My mother scrupulously kept all my artwork, much to my dismay.) Armed with lacy white doilies, red, pink and white construction paper, glitter, scissors, crayons and Elmer’s glue, I’d set out to create cute valentines for all my kin. But the assignment was rarely completed; the supplies ran out long before the list of relatives.

Like an Old Master at work I’d dramatically toss out two or three designs as inferior, destroy a couple more for poor craftsmanship, and lose at least one-a-year to an over-zealous application of glue. Mom always got a specially crafted card from me, but, more often than not, Dad, Grandmother, and my siblings received only a folded paper heart.

Thankfully, designing valentines to distribute to classmates was not required. Released from my artistic shackles I loved shopping for the mass-produced greetings and manipulated every 25-count package at the dime or grocery store to view each card. Sentiments like “Be Mine,” “Happy Valentine’s Day,” and “Just for You” passed muster, while “I Like You,” “To My Special Friend” or anything referring to “love” were out of the question. And though many of my girlfriends included messaged candy hearts along with their valentine cards, I shuddered at the seemingly exhaustive amount of extra reading – and additional scheming – required.

Following the class Valentine’s Day party it was exciting to read, and re-read, the cards we received, and wonder if the boys were halfway as exacting as the girls about who got what card. The fun was in the speculation but, even then, I doubted boys put too much stock in a nickel card. On the other hand, a box of candy or a flower were another matter entirely.

When my best friend unexpectedly received a gold-filled heart from a boy in fifth grade, she demanded he take it back. Dumbfounded, the innocent young man complied. Even at such a young age we knew our strict parents would never understand. We were right.

I hope you receive many love-filled valentines, whether hand-crafted of construction paper, doilies and glue, or presented as a gold-filled necklace from a not-so-secret admirer. Have a wonderful, warm February, and take heart – spring’s not far away!

Sandra Polizos, Editor

Sandra Polizos, Editor (primeeditor@gmail.com)