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Sheila Sims Iding
Every year about this time I am taken back. I am taken back to when I was a little kid in school. And…although for me…that was few years ago, there are some things you never forget from childhood. Valentine’s Day in first grade is one of those things. Admittedly, it may not be foremost in your memory. It may be tucked behind Christmas morning memories, that first new bike, that one special birthday party and those summers at your grandparents. But still it’s a childhood memory that doesn’t go away…Valentine’s Day in first grade.
It starts the minute you get out the red, pink, white and purple construction paper to decorate your Valentine bag or box. Who doesn’t remember bringing in a cereal box to decorate for Valentine’s Day?? There is a magic memory of folding that paper in half, drawing the first part of the number “2” or the shape of an ear and cutting it out. And then the real magic…when you open it up and see the heart. Oh…I know…it’s old school to us…but to a first grader it’s not only “new school”…it’s magic.
And then the magic continues as you fold the newly cut heart and draw another “2” on the inside and cut it out and then you have another heart and a FRAME!! And…even more magic…you can layer the smaller heart on top of another heart.
And so the decorating begins. Each heart and frame and fancy treasure glued carefully on their bag…their Valentine bag. And when they are done, they place them carefully above their cubby and they don’t just walk away. They take a step back and a look back and they admire their work. They admire how that bag looks above their cubby. It’s a first grade memory in the making.
The magic of making your Valentine bag…of making a memory…turns into anticipation of how that bag will be filled. And this is where the magic is turned into excitement. It begins when they bring in their Valentines all signed and sealed and waiting for the “delivery” part. Passing out your Valentines creates another special memory. Going up and down the row of cubbies and carefully…lovingly…delivering your Valentines.
Once they are delivered the excitement builds and they can’t wait to open them. Waiting one whole day to open them makes Valentine’s Day seems farther away than sometimes than Christmas does on Christmas Eve. They’ve asked about the Valentine’s Party all week…and “all week” has only been too days. I don’t blame them. They are excited about those beautiful bags they created filled with Valentine cards, treats and treasures. After all they are experiencing Valentine’s Day the way we all did a “few” years ago. They are experiencing it from the heart of a first grader. Happy Valentine’s Eve to first graders everywhere!