An imagining of a Valentine's Day enjoyed by Garnett.
It’s February 2013 & four year old Garnett sits at a wooden table in his classroom at Green Meadow Waldorf School. Sunlight streams through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room as he & his classmates work on their Valentine’s Day project. Around him, children chatter excitedly, gluing heart shaped cutouts & drawing with beeswax crayons.
Miss Cathy walks around the room, offering encouragement. When she stops by Garnett’s table, she notices how focused he is, carefully drawing a big red heart with two smiling figures inside, himself & a woman with light coloured hair.
“Who is your Valentine for, Garnett?” she asks warmly.
He looks up, grinning. “For my friend!”
Miss Cathy knows who he means. She’s one of the adults in the Fellowship Community, someone Garnett has grown especially close to. She’s kind & patient, always taking the time to talk to him or include him in little activities when his 'mother' brings him along. Sometimes they read books together, or she lets him help with small tasks while chatting about his favourite things.
“That’s a wonderful choice,” Miss Cathy says.
Garnett takes his time finishing the card, carefully writing I love you! in his best wobbly letters. He adds tiny stars around the heart, just like the ones he loves spotting in the night sky.
That afternoon, after school, his 'mother' takes him to the Fellowship Community. As soon as he sees his friend sitting near the window in the food hall, he runs to her, holding out the card. “Happy Valentine’s Day!” he says, beaming.
She looks surprised at first, then her face softens into a warm smile. She takes the card, reading it carefully. “Oh, Garnett, this is beautiful,” she says, her voice touched. “Thank you.”
Garnett giggles as she pulls him into a hug. “Did you get any other Valentines?” he asks.
She shakes her head with a small laugh. “No, but that’s okay.”
Garnett frowns. “But everyone should get one.”
She ruffles his hair. “Well, I did now & it’s the best one I could ask for.”
That night, as Garnett drifts off to sleep, his little purple plush owl tucked under one arm, he thinks about how happy she looked when she got his card & he knows Valentine’s Day isn’t just about chocolates & flowers. It’s about making someone feel special.
-<3
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