Valentines for Vets

Yes, Valentine's Day has become a day to help the greeting card, the candy and the florist businesses, but it also lifts the spirits of those who are the receipients of cards, flowers and candy, and it makes them feel loved. Of course, there are too many, like Charlie Brown, who feel neglected and unloved on this day.

Years after hubby left, and I didn't care anymore, I had a secret fantasy that a bouquet of flowers would be delivered to me, and the card would say "From a Secret Admirer." I'd lived alone long enough that I didn't really want my life cluttered with the maintenance of a "Secret Admirer," but flowers would be nice. Realistically, I didn't know how I'd get a "Secret Admirer" since I taught in an elementary school almost exclusively female, and the few men who worked there; principal, gym teacher and janitor were all happily married.

Still, it didn't mean I didn't get a plentiful amount of Valentines - dozens, in fact - and candy, too. Mostly Hershey kisses and suckers. Most of those Valentines were generic "To the teacher" and had the current cartoon character in favor that particular year; Sponge Bob, Spider Man, Tinkerbell, etc. But there were always a few larger, more expensive cards, too, those costing as much as a dollar, or even better, the handmade cards with sayings like "You're the best techer in the hole world."
It never ceased to amaze me how big Valentine's Day was to elementary school children. They started decorating their boxes at home far in advance. Well, at least most did. There was always that kid, who only remembered to tell his busy mom, while she was packing lunches and preparing for work, that he needed a Valentine's box that day while he was eating his breakfast. I kept white lunch bags on hand for those kids to put their Valentines into. Another thing that amazed me was how the kids so carefully read the messages on these generic cards as if the one who gave the card to them had written a personal message instead of scribbling their name on the back - if they even remembered to do that.

And that brings me to my message: Valentines for Vets. One of the things I had my students do every year after I heard about the program was to have them make Valentines for vets. Their handmade cards were decorated with drawings and construction paper hearts, and they wrote the most precious and often funny sentiments only a kid could think of. Like "Did you have fun in the war?" or "Were you afraid?"or "My Grandpa Jim was in the war. Do you know him?" Those cards had to have made the recipients smile. All the cards were placed in a large manila envelope and mailed to the nearest VA hospital. When I saw the annual plea for cards in the newspaper this year, I thought of those years and decided to do something like I lused to do. I went to the Dollar Store and bought enough cards for every member of my two book clubs, and took them to the meetings for the members to sign with a little message of appreciation for the vet's service to our country. Again, they went into a large envelope to mail to our nearest VA hospital. Why don't you send some, too? To get the address of your nearest VA hospital, go to: www.volunteer.va.gov.