Valentine’s Day will be quickly be approaching, and I am excited that I still have a child small enough to have those annual class parties at school.
Our youngest son Jase is 10 years old, and he is the only “little one” who we have left to decorate those Valentine’s Day cards with, leading up to the exciting day he presents them to his classmates.
But I remember a time when all three of our children were that age, eager to prepare those annual cards.
It was probably about seven years ago when all three of them fit into that age bracket. I remember it like it was yesterday.
As part of our annual tradition, my family and I gathered around our kitchen table to get ready for the holiday. With three children, preparation of the traditional Valentine’s Day cards was a big deal. Careful consideration was given to which card went where, what card went to the teachers and what “super mushy” cards got discarded.
Instead of going overboard with elaborate cards covered in glitter, attachable lollipops and scratch-and-sniff stickers, I kept it simple. It was just a collection of small cards held together with a heart-shaped sticker. I got our daughter Elsie a box of My Little Pony cards; our oldest son James went with the Star Wars collection; and baby Jase was excited about his Paw Patrol set.
It wasn’t a table covered with glitter and glue. There were no ribbons or mountains of pink paper. It was just three kids, a Momma, a Daddy and simple cardboard cards. But there was a ton of laughter and love around that circled as we let each kid scribble their friends’ names, personally pick which kid got what and put that special touch on the card for their teachers.
We even stopped to share a few laughs with my favorite Jackie Gleason show, The Honeymooners, playing in the background.
Simple, but sweet.
After supper, I wasn’t feeling well. That worried me because I wanted to bake a cake for Jase’s class for their Valentine’s Day party. But I just couldn’t do it. Heading to bed, I vowed to get up early the next morning and take care of it.
I was surprised to wake the next morning with a sheet cake covered in pink icing with sprinkles. Jason stayed up late and baked the cake I intended to get to over hot coffee and the morning sun.
This is a guy with no cake baking experience, but I must admit, he did a really good job. He is a modern Renaissance Man. A few of hours earlier he was fixing a blown brake light on my car.
Jase was so proud when we handed the homemade cake over to his teacher. Armed with a backpack full of cards and a hot pink cake, he strutted into the school that morning.
It was another Valentine’s Day accomplished. Another holiday in the books. There were no frills, bells or whistles. But it was perfect.
It was a time of gathering around as a family, making memories. A simple act of doing something together was better than any elaborate gift or display of candy and hearts.
And helping each other out when needed was the best act of love and devotion possible. We worked as a team, and it resulted in a house full of smiles.
That’s a true gift of love. Taking pride in the family, laughing through it all and adding a few extra sprinkles on top.
