Sherry: Well, I was almost my Mom’s Valentine…I was born on the 12th so she was still in Oak Ridge Hospital on Valentines Day and my Dad gave her a beautiful card and I still have it. Our home was filled with lots of love and I am so very thankful. I like the homemade cards also!
Mary Lou McKillip: I love Valentine hearts day. My first Valentine sweetheart God let me keep him 31 years and called him home. He left on a Sunday never to return on a Monday. He would always get me the biggest red box of candy on Valentines day, we dated 2 years and I had 33 boxes I kept. Then five years later God gave me another Valentine sweetheart, he always gets one single rose and one Valentine Day he forgot, but I have received 16 single roses out of 17 glorious years together.
I love my man, my Valentine.
His faults are numerable like mine, but his faults are a portion of him. Who am I to cock myself on one elbow and judge this man. I am not always wise or faithful to my maker. My Valentine is ready to give or lend. Stern looks he can send. He’s never unkind or unruly. He has always been honest with your truly.Who am I to draw a diagram to analyze or pen his soul. Forgive me Lord, heaven only knows, I just love him, My sweet Valentine.
Ethelene Dyer Jones: Valentine’s Day has a sad remembrance for me. On that day when I was 14 years of age, my dear mother died. Each Valentine’s Day I remember her with love, but wish I had known her longer. Then when I was in college, I met a nice, nice guy. His first Valentine’s gift to me after we’d been dating about a month was a bud vase with one American beauty rose and one rose in bud. The arrangement had baby’s breath and the vase had a beautiful red satin ribbon. Every Valentine’s Day after that this “nice, nice guy” who married me gave me roses! It became such a tradition that when he became disabled and could not remember to do so, our children (or grandchildren) sent me flowers with the love tag from their father (or Papaw) to me! Since his death, the Valentine flowers have arrived each year on this special day. So even if sadness permeates the day for me, I know that I was truly (and am still) loved! As we look forward to Valentine’s Day, lets make a special point of spreading around some true love to those dear to us!
Sam Ensley: Way back when I was a student at Young Harris Elementary School, we would decorate a big box with crepe paper, cut-out hearts, etc. We put valentines in it for our classmates. Sears-Roebuck, back them, offered packages that would contain enough valentines to give everybody in class one. There would always be a bigger one for the teacher and a similar one for your sweetheart at the moment. Mrs. Louise always gave each student a valentine that she had painted herself. I wish I still had those cards today.
Tipper: My favorite Valentine cards are handmade ones-the simpler the better. The Deer Hunter gave me my all time favorite Valentine back when we were first married. He drew a heart on a piece of notebook paper, cut it out, and wrote I love you on it. When I went out to leave for work that morning he had stuck it under my windshield wiper.
Tipper
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Many boxes of chocolate and red roses later, I can’t forget one favorite Valentine’s Day long ago when I was in fourth grade. One thing I have to say about Coal Camps is they really knew how to celebrate and decorate for any holiday. Valentine’s Day with Mrs. Larry was made as special as special could be. She was a great teacher who read us a chapter from Tom Sawyer each day. She had beautifully decorated a large box which was placed in front of the classroom. The classroom had both third and Fourth grades. We looked so forward to shoving our handful of cards into the box and eagerly awaiting to see each lovely card handed out. At the end of the day they were to draw a name to see which fortunate child won the huge fancy decorated box.(Sneaky smart move for the teacher to not have to worry with discarding). I was beyond delighted when I received a large card from a young man that all the girls, including myself, had a mad crush on. Well, if that wasn’t enough, the teacher drew my name and awarded me that huge box. I left school that evening walking up the road surrounded by friends carrying my big box.
That school knew how to celebrate Halloween also, and the only time in my childhood when I was able to drink as much soft drink “pop” as I wanted. I still cannot drink coke! I don’t know if it was childhood and discovering life, but that Coal Camp was like living in a magic kingdom to me. It was probably because of the wonderful people of that era who made up that little community.
A good and gracious life is made, and well made, by little acts of kindness consistently shown. If spoken words are involved, we likely forget them, but we remember the act.
I never made home -made Valentine cards. But, as I told someone yesterday, I would bring my wife home ‘found’ things. I used to fill my lunchbox full of roses on my way home from a rambling rise vibe beside the highway. Happy Valentine’s Day everybody.