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Valentine Memories

by Joanne Wiklund

Valentine’s Day, today. I got to reminiscing about the boxes we made for grade school. A shoe box was just the right size, and we made a card for everyone in class. They were paper valentines, so thin you could almost see through them. Mom always bought the candy with the little sayings on them. The teacher made us write a class list a few days before so we could be sure to remember everyone. Even then, there were some students who didn’t get a proportionate amount of cards. Not everyone was ready to share their box so every one could see how many the other kids had.

The boxes were fun to see the way they were decorated with crepe paper, construction paper, some had cutouts from magazines on them. Others were colored with crayons and glitter. I don’t remember a lot of glitter. I know now you can buy glitter pens. But when we had glitter it was everywhere. Our kids did valentines too, and I baked a lot of heart shaped cookies for school. As a member of the PTA, one year we did five open houses in five school buildings scattered all over Upper Rock Island County. We baked cookies in our sleep. We hauled Kool Aid in a big Tupperware container already mixed with sugar. All we did was add the water. I think we carried water to a couple schools too.

I will never forget Valentine’s Day at our house. Always flowers and cards, Hubby was very faithful and traditional. A card with lace and a heart-shaped box of chocolates. Sometimes in later years the caramels were from Fannie Mae’s. But always a traditional verse in the “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue” vein. But when the greeting cards changed to new styles, Hubby changed too. I remember one card in particular. It was traditional in appearance on the front, and the wording looked like handwritten script. It said: “In the past, Valentine, I have remembered you in the traditional Valentine’s way…” When you opened it up inside there was a huge drawing of a galloping horse, bright neon pink, and huge bold black letters that read,  “But you’re a horse of a different color!” It was a hit, and worth a whole bunch of laughs.

Luke 6:21 “Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.”

1 John 1:4 “And these things write we unto you, that your joy shall be filled.”

Psalm 141:8, 10  8. “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.”  10. “Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprighteousness.”