…what a really nice Holiday.  A Holiday that celebrates love for each other.  A Holiday that makes one feel special.  It has always been one of my very favorite Holidays and I think my love for it goes all the way back to first grade. I remember vividly the teacher bringing in the cardboard box, colorfully decorated in red with hearts and lace.  There was a slit in the top of the box, where we could deposit our homemade valentines for our friends.  Out would come the red paper, the jar of white paste and the lace doilys.  My Mother taught me how to fold the paper in half, start cutting at the bottom corner, come up and out, and back in and open the paper and there was a heart.  I loved making them and I’m not sure why.  Was it the scissors I was allowed to use, or the  unsupervised availability of the white paste that I got all over everything.  I still can taste it so I must have even gotten in my mouth too. Somehow I seemed very grown up when I would sit (for hours) and make them.  Was I mimicking grown-ups, writing letters and going to the post office? Was this my first experience with mailing things.  I know that decorated cardboard box is where we deposited our valentines to be delivered on Valentine’s Day. That was kind of like a post office.  The excitement would grow as we got closer to day, and everyone was loading up that box.  One by one we would diligently bring our Valentine’s in and deposit them in our Valentine mailbox. The teacher would shake the box as it started to fill up so more Valentines could fit in.    The big day would arrive and the teacher would sit next to the box, and one by one pick a card and call out a name.  We were all  perched on the edge of our seats, just waiting in anticipation to hear our name, we would either yelp or sigh when hearing it. How many times did the teacher have to say, walk don’t run.  After all the cards were passed out the celebration would continue with juice, cupcakes and heart shaped red lollipops.  The innocence of the first year was soon to be replaced by how many cards did you get, I got 10, well I got 12, or I’m not talking to you because you didn’t send me a card.  By my third Valentines Day I had it all figured out.  I came in with a card for everyone, and everyone knew I did.  I methodically showed everyone their name on the addressed envelope before I put it in the box, and of course now that they knew I sent them one, for sure they would send me one.  I don’t remember the exact outcome, all I know is that I continued to love Valentine’s Day, so I think it must have worked. As years went on, I loved getting the red heart shape box of candy.   It could be that all along, my love for the Holiday was simply my love of chocolate candy and Feb.14th is the day that you can guiltlessly eat as much as you want.  We would not want to offend the giver, so we must eat it all to show our appreciation.  Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day and the enjoyment of indulging in many chocolates                                    .