Valentine Memories

By Hazel P. Hedrick © 1984

Issue: February, 1984

Was Valentines Day special to me in the John Hayes Hollow? Yes, Valentines Day was very special. The first of February we made a Valentine box at school and every child made as many Valentine’s as he or she wanted to (or could afford). Some kids didn’t have any extra paper or crayons, but most of us managed to save up some wrapping paper and we could borrow a couple of crayons. We all made lots of pretty little hearts and made up verses and filled that box so full not one more would go in the slit in the top. Then on Valentine’s Day, the teacher cut open the box and gave out all the pretty little things. I always got a big pile and I loved it.

Then I started dating, my boyfriend would give me a bag full of those tiny candy hearts with words on them, and in those days, girls were never left alone with their boyfriend. Wherever we went, my two little sisters had to tag along. My boyfriend would try to bribe them to go off and play, but that didn’t last for more than a few minutes, then we would make sentences with little hearts and would not talk, so my little sisters wouldn’t know what we were saying. It was fun. Sometimes we would carry on a conversation by making words in a book or magazine.

The first store bought Valentine I ever saw was given to me by my first real boyfriend. I kept that pretty little thing and remembered the verse for fifteen years, was going to keep it and show it to my children, but some little rat or mouse decided it would make a good bed and cut it all in tiny pieces along with some report cards I was keeping too!

(Editors Note: Hazel and her husband, Dennis, were married when Hazel was 17 and they courted in a horse and buggy. I bet that there are quite a few of you reading this that courted the same way. A horse and buggy courtship sounds like a romantic way to date. Too bad there aren’t many around today!)