My first recollection of Valentine’s Day is February 14, 1971. It fell on a Sunday, so I would imagine my Kindergarten class celebrated the Friday prior. I can still recall the excitement delivering the Valentine’s cards to each of my classmate’s wooden cubbies, then the joy of retrieving the ones addressed to me. My very favorite card was from the ever-so-dreamy John Fitzgerald ♥.
We decorated brown paper lunch sacks to collect all of our cards and candy. I’m certain the party consisted of confections where red dye was a main ingredient, and other snacks containing peanut butter were distributed freely, (as those things had not yet been identified as potential problems). Richard Milhous Nixon was President of the United States, and on this date he is said to have installed a secret taping system in The White House on which the infamous Watergate Tapes would be recorded. Walt Disney World was still 8 months away from opening. The crew of NASA’s Apollo 14 had just safely returned to earth, marking the 3rd successful manned mission to the moon. The Partridge Family was one of my favorite television shows, and The Osmonds “One Bad Apple” was at the top of the music billboard charts. Cartoons were a well-planned event on Saturday mornings. These are just a few of my memories & life was good!
Since that time, no Valentine’s Day elicits such vivid pictures in my mind quite like that of Kindergarten. There have been many; some years with a designated “Sweetheart” to share the day (and gifts) with, and others not. So why is my Kindergarten year the one that sparks the sweetest and strongest memories? I heard a long while back that most people remember their first home address and first home phone number, even if they don’t remember ones in the more recent past. “Firsts” often imprint on us unlike other things. So, I suppose Kindergarten was the first larger group of individuals (besides my family) I built meaningful relationships with. They were with me on the very first day of school & knew exactly the frightened feeling I had. We learned together, laughed together, cried together, ate together, created masterful art pieces together, rode the school bus together, teased each other, stuck up for each other, went to recess together, napped & had time-outs together, and extended a helping hand to pick each other up when we fell down (physically & emotionally). We hadn’t yet been influenced by things such as body types, different skin color, or socioeconomic status. Simply put, they were my friends, and I was theirs.
I wish to confess, initially this Blog post was entitled “I Can Buy My Own D**n Candy”. While I am all about empowerment and am on a personal journey of self re-discovery, I realized today is the day set aside to celebrate LOVE. All days should be, but today is the actual holiday/Hallmark day for this. Today is about relationships; about those people we share life with. It is about the people we enjoy sharing space with, and even those we don’t, because ultimately all relationships help to make us who we are.
Those 5 and 6 year olds & teachers from my Kindergarten class at Langston Elementary, Arlington, Virginia, are a significant piece of my history. More importantly, they are an indelible part of me. They taught me the gift of friendship, acceptance, loyalty, and LOVE, and it is those honest, unassuming relationships forged decades ago that makes me mindful of what relationships should be about today. They made me feel “Incredible”. They were my friends . . . they were my tribe!
I am so very thankful for my family, friends, and acquaintances. I may not see or speak to you on a regular basis but you are, nonetheless, a piece of my puzzle. 
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY EVERYONE ! ! !
P.S. If anyone knows the whereabouts of the ever-so-dreamy John Fitzgerald, please wish him Happy Valentines Day, and tell him [with a wink face], to please give freckle-faced Dana Lynn Justice a call . . .
Make It A Great Day ! ! !
♦ Dana Brant ♦
Dana’s Mary Kay Website (Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant)
Chunk of Coal -- Mining Through Life & Discovering My Inner Diamond 