Winter Treasures

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Today’s date returns me to a time in my childhood when Valentine’s Day was a big deal, especially during my early grades in school. Annually, on the day before Valentine’s, we children were directed to create cards from scratch. We were handed construction papers of varying colors but mostly red. Before starting to work, we could select from among an array of colored pencils, or ink if we preferred. All valentines had to be from anonymous senders except those we were required to make for our mothers, thus providing each mom with at least one annual reaffirmation of her child’s everlasting love.

It was easy to make a card for my much-loved mom. The stumbling block was choosing a student or students for whom I wished to make cards. Sure, senders had to remain anonymous, but I couldn’t start a design without a recipient in mind, although secret crushes didn’t count, for in the end we simply distributed our finished and unfinished works into anonymous envelopes. On Valentine’s Day each child in the classroom would receive a large envelope containing lots of cards.

I remember thinking hard about what colors to choose, and of course, red always led. And, trying to draw figures like hearts and cupids before attempting to cut them from construction paper. Cutting required practice, for little hands with scissors have trouble following curved lines. My remembrance is an image of kids bent over desks and lost in imagination, trying to translate feelings into images.

The next class session on The Day itself was special. I loved opening my envelope and watching as cards spilled onto my desk. They were signed, with such as, “Your friend”, “Yours truly”, “I love you”, and my favorite, “Your secret admirer”. For days afterward, I’d dream about my secret admirer.

Every year, something I most loved about Valentine’s Day arrived in the real mail, as an envelope addressed to me! My eldest sister who lived in another city never failed on special days to remember me. I’ll always remember my all-time favorite Valentine’s card from her, with these words: “Won’cha be my Valentine? Won’cha please say yes? For gee, it’s true, I do love you! Much more than you can guess!” Best of all, I believed she meant it.

Dear Readers, Happy Valentine’s Day! Diana