These valentines came in boxes with themes like Disney characters or Garfield. They were generic, just spreading holiday cheer. You'd sign your name on all 25 cards, stuff them into flimsy red envelopes, and carefully address each one to your classmates.
For grown-ups, it might seem a bit impersonal, but as a kid, getting all those little envelopes with your name on them, each in a different handwriting, felt like getting a piece of heaven. Opening them up to find which cartoon character was inside and feeling so special—it was like a lesson in seeing and being seen.
In that classroom, love was democratic, a duty we all shared. As we grew up, though, our affection became more selective. Valentine’s Day turned into a day for honoring one special person, with one card, one box of chocolates, and one dinner reservation.
There have been attempts to expand the circle of love on Valentine’s Day. "Galentine’s Day," introduced by the TV show "Parks and Recreation" in 2010, lets women celebrate their female friends. It caught on for being inclusive and profitable. Yet, at its core, Valentine’s Day is still about choosing someone special.
Valentine’s Day, on closer inspection, is a bit odd. We set aside this one day to focus on love, expressing tender feelings through cards. It's like a choreographed dance of romance and emotion, and then it's back to regular life on February 15
Of course, I’m exaggerating a bit. We’re not heartless the other 364 days of the year, but we’re not always deliberate about expressing affection either. We get busy. A holiday is a reminder to tell our loved ones explicitly that we care, but a calendar alert on a random Thursday in April could work just as well.
Thinking back to those classroom valentines, they were great because they were equal for everyone and actual signs of affection. Even though they were mass-produced, they had my name on them and the sender's. They were real mail, something thrilling to get as a kid, even more so in our digital age. Sending a sweet text is nice, but mailing a postcard or a heartfelt note is a bit magical. It's even more special if you don’t wait for a birthday or holiday to do it.
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