A Valentine's Day Memory (Circa 6th Grade)

It's February. And Valentine's Day is coming soon. Some of you may cheer, some may be panicked (what should I buy? what should I make? what should I write in this card?), and others .... well, just might be tempted to wear black and take a sick day.

But remember when Valentine's Day was just fun for everyone? When you (carefully!) picked out the cards and candy you'd give to everyone in your entire class, you'd have a class party and everyone would write nice things about you?

I remember being very methodical about how I distributed the cards. My closest friends would get the nicest, prettiest and sometimes sappy cards and the best flavors of candy (if my mom happened to buy a variety pack of something). I'd put the best stickers on them and draw a heart in front of my name. And I would carefully ensure that most of the boys would get the entirely tame cards (nothing too girly, no sparkles--which I'm sure they appreciated) with the messages on the front like "Happy V-Day!" or "Be Cool, Valentine" signed simply with "From" and a non-swirly signature. (I really don't know if anyone else was as choosy about the cards, writing and candy. I was kind of artistic AND analytical even in elementary school!)

But there was this one guy (I think every school has one) ... named Luke ... who I probably had a crush on since the 4th grade. And I wasn't alone in my admiration. He was cute. He was fun. He was smart. He was nice. And he was cool.

Some of the girls were pretty upfront with their "love" for Luke. I remember riding in a van on our way to the Math Olympics (You never knew I was a mathlete? Umm...we'll skip over that for now...). There were probably about 4 girls plus Luke and a few other guys. The other girls played with his hair and actually tried to name the curls on the back of his head ("This one's Mo, this one's Curly...). Part of me wanted to gag in disgust and the other part of me admired their courage. I was more of a subtle 6th grade flirt. I'd smile, make eye contact and sometimes we'd have goofy banter back and forth.

I really don't know why I remember this (or why I'm writing about it now exactly), but I remember my 6th grade Valentine's Day card from Luke because...well, he drew a heart around my name on the envelope and wrote something entirely romantic in it like ... "I think you're
cool" with another heart and his signature. Yes, completely ridiculous --I know. But it made me feel good at the time.

I think Valentine's Day should be like that for everyone--just simply about making people feel special--that you took the time to think about them and show that you care.

It's cheaper than diamonds. And a lot cooler than a big panda bear the size of a five-year-old in your cubicle.

P.S. Just in case you were wondering…after sixth grade, Luke went to a different junior high and high school and we lost touch. Sadly, I learned that he passed away in 2002 due to a rare form of cancer. He was a star soccer player and graduated at the top of his high school class. I guess it just shows how you never know the impact you can have on someone’s life. I will remember him as the guy who brightened my 6th grade Valentine’s Day, but I know his positive example and strength through cancer impacted many others.