About a week and a half ago, my blogger friend Anne did a post about her family’s take on a Valentine calendar. The original idea is that each person in your family writes a love note to every other person for each of the first 14 days in February. I really liked the idea–I mean, who couldn’t use a little affirmation? I also thought it would be a great way for us to verbalize feelings that we might not usually express.
I made a trip to the dollar store for supplies. I found these great round metallic boxes, all sorts of stickers to decorate them, and tons of blank note cards. We were ready to get started. Each of us decorated our boxes with stickers and sharpies. Since the Baby tries to eat stickers and sharpies, the older 3 boys had a ball decorating his box for him. Then the real work began.
We decided to do a week of notes, so that each kid just had to write one note per person. Our instructions were to tell each family member what you love most about them, what you admire about them, or what you appreciate most about them.
This was our opportunity to recognize traits that we appreciate in each other, but may not mention on a regular basis.
Everyone took the writing very seriously. In fact, we had barely began our writing when the boys asked if we could do this every year. They loved having a “reason” to fully express themselves in a note.
Since Son #3 isn’t as proficient a writer as the rest, he wrote a few words, and drew pictures of what he wanted to say, then I took dictation for him. I was so impressed with the amount of effort the boys put into this project.
The Baby put his efforts into emptying my grocery bags while everyone else was writing. He’s an industrious one, that baby.
Completed cards were put in their respective boxes. I left the extra note cards nearby, in case someone felt inspired to write more.
The real fun begins each morning after breakfast. That’s when we read a note from our box. I get teary eyed just watching how excited the boys are to read what their brothers really feel about them. Of course they love each other, but they are brothers. Brothers don’t always share how they feel about each other unless there is conflict. We are a pretty straight forward family, so we readily speak our minds to each other, but these notes have brought out another side to that communication. There is just something so satisfying about holding words of affirmation in your hands.
My favorite part of the whole process is all of the extra hugs that come after reading the notes. Such a positive way to start our day. Everyone leaves the house with a smile. Everyone leaves the house knowing that they are loved.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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