I remember as a child how excited I was when February rolled around because I knew that soon I would be getting valentines from all my classmates. The festivities usually involved treats like candy and cupcakes and the classroom was always decorated with various colors and sizes of hearts. If you would have asked me back then why I loved the holiday, I would have given you these reasons.
As clear as those memories are still today, after all these years, the memory of Valentine’s day evening is just as vivid. Why? I remember that after my dinner, and homework, and bath were all completed, I would go to my room and joyfully admire each valentine. I would notice the picture and words on the card of course, but equally interesting to me was to discover who the sender was!
Whether or not everyone in my class really loved me didn’t seem to matter at all to me. Getting all their valentines made me feel love and to some degree, I loved them back. There was no problem with the number of students I was feeling love towards and as far as I know, none of them were jealous of each other about my love.
Although as an adult, I do not give out large numbers of valentines during February any longer, during the course of my life I’ve given out my share. I just give them one at a time and to one person only, as opposed to 20 or 30. I still look forward to the holiday though, just for a little different reason.
To me, Valentine’s day is a day we set aside to make a point about our love. We are talking about the same love we have the day before and the day after the holiday, but Valentine’s day allows us to make it special. Even with the present pandemic, I plan to find some ways to express love to my husband. And if past years are an indication, he will do the same.
I can not imagine loving my husband any more than I do, and I am so grateful for his loving presence in my life! But he will not be the only one in my heart on the holiday, because I have some Forever Valentines. Back in 2001 my valentine Edgar went on with his soul’s journey and then in 2005 my valentine Warren did the same. They are not here with me in this physical realm any longer but they never left my heart. So I will be remembering their love and expressing my love for them as well because love, like everything else in life, is energy.
And energy never dies because it can’t. So on this “Love” holiday, I invite all of you who have a Forever Valentine to call out their name and send them some of the love that you carry around in your heart every other day of the year.
