Heart-Keepers 

February is sometimes called the “Love Month” with Valentine’s Day bringing elaborate marriage proposals. I once saw a movie with a young couple at a ritzy restaurant and the young lady found an engagement ring in her glass of champagne. Wow! If that’s the norm, my late husband, Carl and I missed the memo. I definitely got a heart-shaped box of chocolates, but we were way too poor for champagne and fancy restaurants while dating in college. 

And about those extravagant proposals, Carl slipped an engagement ring on my finger in the parking lot at Northeastern State College just hours after purchasing it at a local jeweler. Having been drafted into the U.S. Army, he was leaving the next day for Basic Training and wanted me to have a ring on my finger before he left. Talk about romance! Though I was proud of the ring, I was devastated that we would be apart for some weeks. 

A few months later we were married in a little Army chapel, just hours before Carl deployed overseas to a place I couldn’t go. When Valentine’s Day came around, I sent my new husband a lovely, romantic card, but I also sent him a letter with a couple of small, heart-shaped hard candies included which said, “I Love You” on them. He let me know that the letter with the cute little hearts was opened to check for contraband. A fun memory that kept us exchanging those heart-shaped “I Love You” candies every Valentine’s Day.

But of all the gifts I received from my late husband on Valentine’s Day, what I treasured most were the cards with his written sentiments. The same with my kids. I cherish all those sweet, handmade valentines my children made for me through the years with messy block writing on the back. I call them “Heart-Keepers.” My son, Aaron keeps up the tradition of sending a Valentine’s Day card with a sweet, hand-written note to his mom, knowing how much it means to me. 

So, yes, definitely celebrate on Valentine’s Day, and be sure to make some beautiful memories. They just might become “Heart-Keepers.”