02/14/12
by Hope Ramsay
When I was in first grade I made a big red Valentine for my mother. It had red construction paper as a backing, a paper lace doily and a big red heart. In crayon I wrote. Be Mine.
My mother saved this valentine, and I still have it tucked away in a file. It looked a little like this:
Then on Valentines Day when I was seven I got something really cool — a baby brother.
In fifth grade Valentines Day wasn’t nearly so great. I passed a home made Valentine to Jamie Katz, who I was seriously in love with. Jamie was not impressed. He ran like hell.
Then I remember my first valentine from David, my high school sweetheart. It was from Hallmark. David was sweet but kind of conventional. Probably explains why we broke up in college.
And then — the best valentine of all: It was 1982 and my husband and I went off skiing in Vermont and got all romantic by the fire. Nine months later we were a family.
I will never get tired of giving and receiving valentines. How about you? What was the best (or the worst) valentine you ever received?
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Today is the last day of the Muser’s Valentines Day Celebration. Anyone who has left a comment during the period from February 1 to February 14 is eligible to win a Valentines day gift box containing books, chocolate, and lots of other goodies. The winner will be announced this evening at 8:00 pm Eastern.
39 Responses
Every year as far back as I can remember, I have gotten a Valentine from my Dad, has have my two sisters. Not sure what Mom got from him but I do have six siblings…
And how many of those siblings were born in mid-November.
Boy, Hope. I’m impressed you can remember all those Valentine moments. I’m stumped. I do remember the parties in elementary school when you brought your bag of Valentines to hand out to all your classmates. Mostly because I sat down with my own kids this weekend to help them get their Valentines ready for their elementary parties in the great circle of Valentine life…
I do have an aunt and uncle who send out Valentines cards rather than Christmas cards which I always thought was a great idea. That way they’re not lumped in with everyone else but get the holiday all to themselves.
Well, I guess Valentines Day was always kind of special at our house because it was my both my Aunt’s and my brother’s birthdays. So we always had a big family party to celebrate the birthdays — and since it was Valentines day everyone got an “unbirthday” present that was valentines themed.
I have to say, though that those grade school Valentines Day exchanges were always kind of painful for me. I was not one of the really popular kids, and this was before schools made certain every kid brought valentines for everyone.
I’m with Alix on this. Aside from the “trauma” of handmade valentines in third grade, I have few if any memories. DW is still in Florida helping out her parents as we move them to assisted living. I just got back myself. In her email this morning, beneath the many lines of daily business issues, she threw in a bunch of XXXOOOO with Happy Valentine greetings. How much you want to bet this will be one I do remember? Makes me want to get right back on that plane and “deliver” one in person.
Oh you should! Maybe we should take a poll right now with people voting on it. You should get on a plane and find some roses — or balloons with hearts on them.
DO IT! DO IT NOW! (said like Arnold Schwarzeneger) Get on the plane!
I definitely vote ‘yes’. Get on that plane!
Fly to Florida, pick up one stunning tropical bloom. A statement flower to go with the huge statement of flying in!
I’m all for it. Then it’ll be a V-day *she* won’t forget either!
Go for it, Dan! That would be one hell of a Valentine’s Day present and it would make every female hearing about it sigh…
I always receive a valentine from my parents. A few years ago an actress said the worst Valentine she received was from her mom, she felt like a loser. I haven’t liked her since. lol. Glad to see others cherish their parents gifts like I do.
Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m glad I found this blog. It has some awesome authors writing.
Lori,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Yeah, my Mom always sent me a Valentines Day Card. So did my Aunt, when I finally moved away and missed her birthdays. I saved a lot of these cards. I was looking through them for this blog last night. I had planned to take photos, but the paper has yellowed and become brittle. I’ll have to be content with my memories.
Sadly, I am not nearly the correspondent that either of them were. I did send my daughter an electronic valentine. But somehow it’s not quite the same is it?
Lol, I begged for a brother or a sister until I was sixteen, then I gave up. What I want to know is what are the plans your sweetie has for you this Valentine’s eh?
Well, I’m embarrassed to say that we have no plans for this evening. Although I just sent him an ecard that was a little bit of a come on …
Guess I’ll just hang out and see was comes up, so to speak.
The best Valentines I ever got was the first year we were married. We didn’t have much money then My hubby gave me a single red rose my favorite chocole bar and a kiss. It was the first time a man ever gave me flowers:)
Awwwwwwww. That’s so sweet. Sometimes the smallest things are the best. Thanks so much for sharing.
I have to admit I’m all for the rule of having to give a Valentine to everyone or not at all. When I was little, there was a girl in my class who had a very dark port wine birthmark on almost exactly half of her face. Kids teased her mercilessly and because she was self-conscious, she often misbehaved, which made the kids dislike her even more. In fourth grade, only two people gave her a Valentine (I think one was from the teacher, the other from her cousin) and she started to cry, hard. Right then and there, the teacher made us all take one of our Valentine’s, cross out our name and give it to Michele. I never felt so horrible in all my life and I remember crying when I got home. How could I have ever been so insensitive? Everyone should get a Valentine. I remember being a lot nicer to Michele after that.
It’s memories like that, that make me realize how lucky I am today – my husband and two boys give me the best Valentine every year – they love me unconditionally and make me feel like a queen. The hugs and kisses are in plentiful supply in our house on V-day. (Even from my teen son, for whom it is patently uncool to show affection for one’s mother at this age.) In our house, we believe in The Intangible Valentine, and on Thursday’s blog that’s what I’ll be talking about.
Marlo,
I have similar grade school memories and I definitely think the way they manage things these days is much better. I was kind of a dorky kid, and when I was in 5th grade I started to develop — way before all the other girls. And along with all that came a terrible case of acne. I didn’t get much attention at school on V-day. And I won’t repeat what Jamie Katz said that horrible day I gave him a Valentines and he ripped it up in front of everyone.
But at home, it was a fun day, filled with birthday celebrations and a special dinner for my aunt and my brother. So, being the optimist, I always focus on what we did at home.
I can laugh about it now, but I was only slightly more popular than Michele, LOL. I think I got about six Valentine’s to her two, so I didn’t fair much better. I had an odd name, red hair, freckles, glasses, acne and a flat chest – I had it all goin’ on! I hated middle school. Do you ever wonder sometimes wonder how we survived it? I think I cried that day as much for Michele as I did for myself. But I learned a number of lessons that day, one of which was, there’s always someone worse off than yourself.
I love Valentine’s Day and we rarely do the same kind of celebration twice. When the kids were little I decorated the dinner table and made the day as festive looking as i could. When hubby and I lived in Alaska, we drove from Anchorage to Homer for a long weekend by the ocean–very romantic. Nowadays, VD is so low-key it feels like we’re ignoring it. But, it’s evolved all the way from those elementary school parties to comfortable love by the light of the TV with lots of great memories. I hope you all have exactly the kind of day that makes you happiest!
Yeah, I know how it gets. It’s funny though, when you’ve been married to the same man for more than 3 decades, you really don’t need a dozen roses to make the day romantic. It just is, because you’re with your best friend. And hanging out watching NCIS can be pretty fun, if you’re with the right person.
Absolutely, Hope. That’s totally right. And, I’m looking forward to it tonight
All right, I have to make a full disclosure here. A delivery man just arrived with a dozen red roses.
They smell heavenly and the DH and I are meeting for drinks after work. So much for NCIS…
Thank God for DVRs right! Have a great time, Hope!
Cool! Get him tipsy and have your way with him! Oh wait did Robin say it’s going to be recorded. Oh, that was NCIS. pooh.
A favorite Valentine’s day was after my divorce when my good friend was also single. She and I went out for pizza and gave each other the DVD of Mulan (a story celebrating a kick-butt single gal). It was much better that staying home and bemoaning not having a male underfoot.
Tonight it will be Pellegrino on ice in the champagne bucket, a good romance novel, a flourless dark chocolate heart and my Furry Kid lounging on the tub rim soaking his tail.
Larisa,
This sounds very healthy. It’s been years since I was single. But I do remember going out with girlfriends and giving each other valentines day presents. I don’t think you have to feel down on Valentine’s Day when you happen to be single. It’s a day to celebrate love and friendship of all kinds. I have a friend who is going through some problems with her marriage right at the moment and I keep telling her that this is not a day of mourning for singles. A holiday that celebrates love is for everyone, whatever the marital status, whatever the age.
This is the first Valentines Day that I am totally ambivalent about. I am quite content with being single for the first time ever!
Jen,
There is nothing wrong with being single on Valentines Day. Sometimes you have to live alone for a while to figure out what you want in the way of romance. And there is much to be said for being in charge of the remote control.
Attagirl, Jen. I’m all for skipping V-day altogether if your partner treats you well all 365 days, not just one or two days a year. Yes, that probably makes me a sucky romance writer, but my hero and heroine usually don’t get engaged, either. Having been through a nasty, gut-wrenching divorce, marriage isn’t the fairy tale I used to think it was. It’s hard work, but if done right, it can be awe-inspiring.
Carla,
You are not a sucky romance writer. Yeesh!!!!!
Again, I will point out that one way to look at V-day is that it’s a celebration of every kind of love, from romantic to platonic. I think it’s nice to set aside a day to think about love. If we loved one another more, perhaps we’d have fewer wars and less hateful speech and we’d cooperate more. So, even if you’re single think about all the people you love in your life, and those who love you. And you’ll find yourself counting many blessings, I’m sure. Especially you, Carla. You are one of the most loveable people I know.
This is true. The marketing focus seems to be on romantic love. I guess mine has too. (And let’s face it, I’m also one of the most whiny people you know. Said with tongue firmly in cheek.)
If nothing else, I’ve learned lately how to love and appreciate myself for who I am. No, not that way.
But if you’re alone, I say it’s perfectly okay to go out to dinner, have a glass of wine, and celebrate being happy in your own skin. As Dr. Phil would say, it’s much better to be alone and healthy than sick and with someone.
But I also think you can’t beat being with someone who makes you feel safe and loved and cherished. Short of that, there’s always a good bottle of wine, a warm blanket, a little soft music, and a great book. That’s good too.
Yes, being cherished is cool. But I should point out that I met my dear husband one evening when I was taking myself (and a good book) out to dinner. I wasn’t looking for love, just a fried shrimp dinner.
I’d been living alone for about three years at the time. Had my own apartment and my own stereo and a good job. I had lots of friends. And something to do that evening after dinner. This was in 1976, when women thought they needed to sit by the phone waiting for someone to call. I was not about to do that. I had a life to live.
Valentines Day has never been a biggie for me, although I never miss hitting the after sale at WalMart! But, I had something totally unexpected happen today. My daughter and son-in-law sent me the most beautiful Valentines floral arrangement! I am still flabbergasted.
How nice. And it proves what we’ve been talking about today — that Valentines Day is not always about romantic love. I hope your flowers smell as sweet as mine.
Awww, they are so sweet.
Most years Valentine’s Day is just the 14th of February for me. My hubby doesn’t believe in ‘scheduled romance’. Yeah, it’s just an excuse. As you know, this year I made Valentine’s Day special for myself and released my book first book.