Valentine’s Disappointments
Looking at the suggestions of special memories, funny stories, disappointments, I thought how do you choose because I am sure we have all experienced all of these. Some of my special memories will always remain within my heart; but a thought flashed through my head, and I was taken back to my elementary school, 4th grade (actually it could have been any class, or any school).
I am sure you all remember the excitement leading up to Valentine’s Day. We would spend days before cutting hearts out of construction paper and pasting them on the walls. Decorating the whole classroom: balloons, posters, etc; while there in the corner was “the box”. A box that would come to life on February 14th, as it would begin to swell with all the valentines that would be stuffed in there that morning. I remember rushing home after spending what seemed like hours, picking out the perfect cards for my friends. Then I would rush home to start writing my cards. Of course, it was not an easy task, as I had to choose which friends would get the cards I liked the most, saving those of least importance for the “non-so-important” kids in my class.
The anticipation would mount as we would have to wait for the teacher to decide when the proper moment would be to pass out the much awaited cards; and wondering if we would get “that very special card” from the boy across the room. As the cards would be passed out, the smiles were intoxicating. Yet, when I looked up from the pile on my desk, my heart would start to break, as I would see a few of the “unpopular” or those not in the “in group”, attempting to smile, while holding back tears. And there on their desk would be maybe one or two Valentine Cards. Do you remember when the Scarecrow in the “Wizard of Oz” would say, “I know I have a heart, because I feel it breaking.” That is how I felt within my heart watching the disappointment on my classmates’ faces.
If only we knew back then the heartaches and disappointments that those little things in life can bring. How simple it would have been for me to write just one more card. I can’t begin to tell you the heartache I feel even now when I think back on how much we had to learn just to make a difference.
Looking at the suggestions of special memories, funny stories, disappointments, I thought how do you choose because I am sure we have all experienced all of these. Some of my special memories will always remain within my heart; but a thought flashed through my head, and I was taken back to my elementary school, 4th grade (actually it could have been any class, or any school).
I am sure you all remember the excitement leading up to Valentine’s Day. We would spend days before cutting hearts out of construction paper and pasting them on the walls. Decorating the whole classroom: balloons, posters, etc; while there in the corner was “the box”. A box that would come to life on February 14th, as it would begin to swell with all the valentines that would be stuffed in there that morning. I remember rushing home after spending what seemed like hours, picking out the perfect cards for my friends. Then I would rush home to start writing my cards. Of course, it was not an easy task, as I had to choose which friends would get the cards I liked the most, saving those of least importance for the “non-so-important” kids in my class.
The anticipation would mount as we would have to wait for the teacher to decide when the proper moment would be to pass out the much awaited cards; and wondering if we would get “that very special card” from the boy across the room. As the cards would be passed out, the smiles were intoxicating. Yet, when I looked up from the pile on my desk, my heart would start to break, as I would see a few of the “unpopular” or those not in the “in group”, attempting to smile, while holding back tears. And there on their desk would be maybe one or two Valentine Cards. Do you remember when the Scarecrow in the “Wizard of Oz” would say, “I know I have a heart, because I feel it breaking.” That is how I felt within my heart watching the disappointment on my classmates’ faces.
If only we knew back then the heartaches and disappointments that those little things in life can bring. How simple it would have been for me to write just one more card. I can’t begin to tell you the heartache I feel even now when I think back on how much we had to learn just to make a difference.
