As a child, I always dreaded going to school on Valentine's Day. The whole concept of getting – or not getting – little love-notes stuffed into my locker stressed me out. My friends and I always made sure to leave "You're the best!" cards for each other so we always had something to open, but I was seriously lacking in love-notes from little boys. My first kiss wasn't even until the 9th grade, so let's just say that there were many years of "friends-only" Valentine's Day cards in my wake!
I can laugh about it now, but back then, I didn't think it was so funny. But, you shouldn't feel bad for me because even back then, I knew that the real magic of Valentine's Day happened after our father got home from work. You see, our father knew that school could be tough (and even heartbreaking at times), but he also knew that a parent's love could get you through anything. So each year, he would come home with a big box of chocolates and a single red rose for each of us.
Our father hated seeing us unhappy, but he also knew that life was full of ups-and-downs, and sometimes, this included not getting any love-notes in your locker. So he did his best to make sure that each year, on this tricky, emotional day, his three children would always go to bed knowing that they were loved by their parents and their siblings. This way, it didn't matter if our lockers were full – or empty – because our hearts would always be full at home.
And even though our father has been gone for some years now, his traditions live on. Each year, our children receive their very own box of chocolates – and a small gift – to open up after they come home from school. This way, if the Valentine's Day cards are not in abundance at school, they will always know that our home is full of love for them.
So, with parental love in your heart – this year and every year – we'd like to share some of our favorite heart-filled posts from the past with you. 🙂
HEARTS, HEARTS & MORE HEARTS!
Happy Valentine's Day,
Denine
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