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| Paper Love |
When does it begin – this obsession with love? This desire to have our love
for another person reciprocated? As A child, I along with the rest of my
school friends was obligated, on February 14th, to give all the members of our
class valentines. We brought in old shoe boxes, cut slits in the top so the
valentines could be placed inside. The boxes came in many different sizes.
Generally they were equal but there were always a few very large boxes that
arrived with great expectations. We pasted hearts cut of pink and red
construction paper on the outside of the box. In the first and second grade,
the valentines placed inside were handmade as well. To ensure that each
student received valentines, the entire class was given a list of our
classmates’ names, which we took home and dutifully wrote onto the
appropriate envelopes. When puppy love struck, we would write ‘special’
words of love on the back of one of the valentines. Most of the time we would
not sign our name to these valentines. We would drop it in the ‘object of our
desires’ box and hope that they didn’t read it and make fun of us in front of
the class. We also hoped that they secretly knew who the ‘words of love’
were from.
We also created valentines to take to our parents. These were large hearts cut
out of pink or red or white, or a combination of these colors and decorated
with three simple words, ‘I Love you.’ There was always a party at which we
received heart shaped candies with short sayings on them and ate cookies
brought by the ‘room mothers.’
Eventually the ‘commercial guru’s’ of the country figured out that a profit
could be made on this holiday and ‘school valentines’ made their way to the
market, being mass produced. It made things a lot easier than the days of
construction paper and glue, but something was lost in the process. The
words that were once written from the giver’s heart were replaced with the
generic, fits all lines from hired greeting card writers.
I can remember receiving cards from my grandparents. My maternal
grandmother always had a ‘child’s’ valentine, in its envelope to hand to us
when we took ours to her. I don’t remember when this stopped, but I know
that it was long before we became teenagers. As we handed out our ‘paper
love’ we watched our mothers receive large heart shaped boxes of chocolate.
The boxes usually had pleated ribbons on them and a plastic rose on top.
Along with the chocolates was a card from our Dad expressing in words the
sentiments of his heart. Some of our Mothers reciprocated and gave paper
valentines to our Dads.
In my heart I am a paper lover. I always have in my mind the thought of giving
paper valentines to those who hold special places in my life, but most years I
fall short. In other words, I don’t stop to purchase the cards, or if I do, I forget I
purchased them and don’t remember until Valentine day. Many times I
purchase them and then simply lose them in the messiness of my life.
I have received many valentines in my life. I must admit though, the majority of
them came as obligatory deliveries from my classmates. But there have been
a special few. My husband never fails to have one waiting for me on the table
early on the morning of Valentine Day. But now, along with the paper he has
flowers delivered. I love the flowers. Always have. But the paper and the
words chosen just for me are what make my heart flutter. Paper love. Who
could want for more?
