Valentine Wisdom from the Junior High

What is Valentine's day? I don't even know.

I don't know if I can look back at a specific Valentine's day and think "MAN, I really felt so loved and special and appreciated from a loved one." I remember some pretty disappointing Valentine's days (and to what standard I was holding those, I don't even know). And I'm SURE that my significant other remembers me as a disappoint on specific Valentine's days. I can look back at OTHER days and think that, but not specifically on Valentines day. So it is hard for me to understand what the big hub-bub is about.

In case you don't know, I work in a Junior High. And Valentine's day is a BIG deal. All week long, the student body presidency has been set up in the gym selling "valo-grams", a cute little way to give something special to somebody in school: suckers, cookies, cupcakes, notes, etc. I guess we did that in my high school, but I was always too scared that I wouldn't get any from anybody, and I never sent any. Today is a free dress day, meaning the kids get to wear whatever they want--most of them are wearing red or pink, and I am proud of myself for actually joining in the fun by wearing my red pants. That's about as out-there as I get though. Again....insecurity.

But what is fun about today is that I get to witness the excitement of crushes and valentines today. I get to see girl's eyes light up, and boys nervously pulling small and secret gifts out of their lockers to give to their lady-friend. Some of my favorite things so far today are as follows:

• I was walking down the hall during lunch, and a loud and shrill scream echoed from the girls bathroom, followed by gasps and giggling. They were being too noisy, so I walked in to quiet them down. When I turned the corner, there was a cute Junior high girl holding a bouquet of flowers. She couldn't hide her smile if her life depended on it. Her friends were beaming and in shock, and they were SO excited that _____________ had given ____________ flowers for Valentines day. --> and you know what's cute? Those flowers are sitting in the bathroom still, because __________is too emberassed and scared to show them to everybody yet. 
• Another moment in the hallway--a rather portly 4th grade girl was walking down the hall by herself muttering things like "How disgusting! Gross! I can't believe it!", etc. I asked her what was gross as she passed by, and she said "A boy just asked me to be his Valentine". So I replied "well, what did you say?" and she said "Yes, duh", and turned back around and went into the bathroom smiling
• One of the more troublesome boys in the younger grades was rushing to his locker to get something. "Nobody is allowed in their lockers during iExcel, get going." He looked at me with these pleading eyes and said "please? it's REALLY important". I let him in his locker, and he secretly pulled out a bouquet of heart-shaped suckers. His friend excitedly said "You are giving her those too?! Wow!" and they sheepishly hurried away. 
• There are hearts all all over the school with little love messages and everything on them. 
• The junior high student body president asked me if she could heart attack her little brother's locker. How cute is that?
• Most of the girl have their hair curled, or are looking especially cute, and it is pretty apparent that they put some extra work into their appearance today. I just think that is really great.

I wanted to paint my nails for valentine's, but I didn't. 

And as I sit here, watching these "kids," I begin to think that I don't really need to be as jaded as I really am. It's just a day, right? And why NOT show people that they are important? Why NOT wear a little extra pink? Why not smile more, or curl our hair? Why not give valentine's and suckers, and flowers? Why is it even about romance?  And who knows, maybe by some surprise, somebody will show up with Oreos and flowers, just for me. Oh wait....they just did. :)