Sweet on the sweet

Little heart candies with cute phrases like “be mine,” or “kiss me” or “love forever.” Cards with baby fawns and a heart with the phrase “Hello Valentine, I think you’re a deer.” Small red hearts full of milk and dark chocolate candies.

Oh, when I think of Valentine’s Day, I don’t think of social media’s pressure to be skinny and fit and to be like everyone else and have a significant other on your arm. I certainly don’t buy into the commercialism that Madison Avenue sells to buy this present or that shiny present. It’s all a big bunch of baloney.

Love, true love, is so much more than that. So much deeper than that.

But, instead, I think of Valentine’s Day from my youth. I think of the joy we had covering shoeboxes with red, pink, and white construction paper, with hearts and smiley faces, and turning the boxes into little mailboxes. I even created a little red flag that my friends could put up to show that a new card had been added.

I think too of the excitement we had writing out each card. Yes, we bought the cards from “the five and dime,” but they were hardly the most expensive thing you could buy. I can’t recall that I wrote a book in the cards. I think I just scrawled my name in my crazy handwriting, but the act was important to give out a card to everyone in my class. It was less about romance or love and more about acknowledging others in your life.

Here’s to the purity of kindness and joy. It was a different time, but a fun one! Happy Valentine’s Day to you!