The Valentine's Day Message

Mom was making her write Valentine's Day cards for everyone in the class. EVERYONE. It wasn't fair.

Her Mom's explanation was: "Ms. Farley said that her policy is that everyone gets a card or you don't bring any cards at all. It's so that no one feels left out and sad."

"Then I'd rather bring no cards at all." she had said, but to no avail.

Here she was, instead, writing stupid cards for everyone.

You had to be soooo careful because you couldn't just give the stupid little pictures and messages in the cards to just anyone (and Mom always bought cards with stupid little pictures and messages). If it said "love" or hinted at it, you had to make sure that went to a girl. If it had cute little animals, same thing. Boys had to get superheroes or trains or cars AND you had to make sure there wasn't a message that suggested you liked the boy. No hearts for boys either.

Then, you had to be careful about what you wrote. Safest thing for girls was "Your friend, ..." or just "Happy Valentine's Day!" Boys got "From..."

Then there was Eddie. What a jerk. What a bully. "He gets a card too!?! Mom! I can't do it."

But her Mom shuffled through the pile of cards and pulled one out that just said "Happy Valentine's Day" on the front and nothing inside. NOTHING. How perfect because Eddie was a nothing.

He stole people's lunches. He punched you when no one was looking. He made faces at Ms. Farley when she had her back to the class. He made fake fart noises (which was actually pretty funny, but RUDE!) And here she was being forced to write a card for that worthless loser.

She opened the blank card and wrote her name and nothing else. Not even a 'from'. "That'll show him", she thought with a malicious smile.

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Valentine's Day in Ms. Farley's class was pretty good. They had a party instead of math. And at the end of the party, they each got a little box to put on their desk, and then walked around dropping their cards in each other's boxes.

When she got to Eddie's desk, she quickly checked if Ms. Farley was looking and when she was sure she wasn't, she plugged her nose with one hand and dropped her card in his box with the other.

They all sat down after that and had a few minutes to open their cards.

She picked the first one at random and opened it. The print said "Happy Valentine's Day" on the front, and nothing inside, except "Eddie". WHAT A JERK!

Then she opened another. It was the same card, and inside it said "Kenneth".

Then the same again, from "Emily". And "Lisa". And "Thomas"...

Tears welled up in her eyes as she opened each envelope and found the same card over and over again from every kid in class. They hadn't even had the decency to write anything but their names inside! Not even a 'from'.

She stood up and asked Ms. Farley if she could go to the office because she wasn't feeling well.

Her Mom picked her up 20 minutes later, and she cried all the way home.

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The next day, when she came into class, she made a point of going straight to her seat without teasing anyone. At recess, she didn't get in any fights and instead tried playing tag with some of the other girls. In fact, she went all day without once getting in trouble.

Valentine's Day message received.

(Love David. Happy Valentine's Day.)