Valentine’s Day from the Heart of a Child
February 12, 2012During this week leading up to Valentine’s Day, I have been flooded with the nostalgia of so many memories that remain amazingly warm and happy in my heart. As we become adults, and especially as the years since childhood add up, we may forget many of the places we’ve been and gifts we have been given, but we always retain memories of our special occasions and holiday traditions since childhood. The most important memories I still treasure and hold dear are those where an adult, whether it be parents, grandparents, or a caregiver connected. For moments in time, they gave up their adult roles and tickled my life with just being fun… on my age level. In the magical moments of childhood, there is little more precious than a moment where an adult merges into “our” world as children!
On Valentine’s Day we would take a box that we had each personally decorated to school along with our valentines for each of our classmates. I remember spending days thinking of the special valentine box I was going to create. With colored paper, crayons, crepe paper and doilies I spent days designing and constructing my special box and delighted for hours after returning home from the school celebration, reading and enjoying the cards from my classmates. In the evening, the tradition where I grew up was to take valentines to our friends in the neighborhood, place the treasured envelope on the front porch, and with heart pounding, ring the doorbell and run! I can still remember the thrill of getting away before the door was answered! One year our doorbell rang and mom sent me to the door. There was a big red heart shaped box of candy on the porch! I opened the door and bent down to pick up this fabulous treasure and it moved! Yes it moved… just enough that I could not reach it. Somewhat startled I again reached for that box and again it moved just out of reach! By now I was laughing and absolutely delighted at this magical moment!! Just before the box toppled off the porch onto the steps out jumped my dad with a huge smile on his face and a heart shaped box of chocolates in his hands… with a big hug he wished me a Happy Valentine’s Day and told me that he loved me…. now that is a memory to hold in your heart always!
Every year I receive a valentine in the mail from my sister. I can count on it. And I can also count on opening it up and reading “do you remember the year….”! There is not a child that has been in my life that doesn’t also hold that memory from one special year in their childhood. For us it has been “a keeper”… and the tradition lives on! This year I have two special children in my life that haven’t yet experienced the jumping box of chocolates. I already have my heart shaped boxes of chocolate, the fishing line to tie to the box and my hiding places scoped out! I am truly counting down the days until this joy filled memory touches another child’s heart!
Happy Hearts Day!! jules.
*Jules has extensive training in early childhood development and parent coaching and has been a certified nanny for over 25 years.
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