Stories for the Boy: My Favorite Valentines

Valentine's Day for the younger set thankfully had none of the angst that teenagers faced or the relationship land mines for those slightly older.

One of my favorite projects in grade school was decorating a cigar box for Valentine's Day. It was a flurry of craft paper, glitter, paper lace, bugle beads and cotton balls. It was a beautiful box.

I still harbored a crush, and in my second grade glory, I cherished the "Hot Stuff" fire engine valentine from Tommy.

It's sad that when a girl needs a Valentine the most is when you stopped receiving them. Seventh and eighth grade kind of suck.

Not that 9th was any better. I had a boyfriend, almost by default. I received his valentine and box of chocolates on the bus via Alison Wilson since I hadn't seen him that day. I was startled by the gift.

Your dad gave me the best Valentines for several years. The first year, it was the gift of himself, as we had broken up at the end of January. You will find, son, that the early part of a relationship can be touchy, when it goes from being casual to perhaps something more.

You are living proof that it did.

Ten years later, your dad delighted me with the Can You Dig It? box set, a collection of 70s soul music in a fake 8-track tape box. We were in the throes of remodeling the kitchen of our house in Saint Louis, and we listened over and over as we stripped wallpaper and changed knobs.