Valentine's Day: I'm at a loss. What are children celebrating, on this day?
It's strange to me that it occurs in my kids' local schools; if Halloween is an unacceptably pseudo-religious day, can't someone make this case about February 14?
Parents in my town were told to sit with their children and have a Valentine-making session. Each child could write his name on twenty Valentines; the papers were not to be addressed to anyone, I suppose because errors and omissions could lead to heartache. My son held his pen incorrectly, and--though others have encouraged me to have a battle about this, each time--I just let the mistake happen. Tears over Valentine's Day seemed like a bridge too far.
I do think--to mark the occasion--I'll share "The Tooth," which is one of the most romantic stories I know of. George the hippo chips his tooth and becomes upset, and Martha does not bully him into a false sense of cheerfulness. She sits with him, finds him a blanket, and makes him tea. She listens to him. That's basically the entire story.
I hope both of my children will find a Martha--eventually--or that they might "become their own Marthas" in this crazy world. Be your own Martha. That's my wish for everyone.
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