Boxes of Love: A Valentine Ritual
Hard to believe that January is over. Here’s a great idea for your family as you begin “the month of love!” In our family, we LOVE having special connecting rituals around all the holidays.
Last year, we started a couple of fun ones for Valentine’s Day. One was a family “Sweetie” breakfast at Krispy Kreme before school and work (a rare treat)!
Another begins on February 1st, and lasts the whole month of February. We decorate “boxes of love” (just old shoe boxes with a slot in the lid), one for each of us, and throughout the month we drop little “love notes” in each other’s boxes.
Of course, I helped transcribe the messages from the kids, letting them scribble on them. The notes say something we love about that person, or something we love doing with that person. It is fun to discover a new note in our boxes each day, and the messages are simple mementos of the love our family shares in big and small ways. Plus they go a long way in connecting us amidst our busy lives, helping us to feel the “3 As” (Appreciation, Affection, and Admiration) that feed our souls and fuel our relationships.
Here are some of our favorites from last year…
”Dear Brother, I love bath time with you. We have so much fun together. Love, Ellie”
“Dear Ellie, I love playing ladybugs with you. You are so good at pretending. Love, Mommy”
“Dear Mommy, I love how you craft with me. Love, Michael James”
“Dear Daddy, I love building a cabin with you. Love, Michael James”
“Dear Michael James, I love cooking Julia Child recipes with you. I love our special cooking time together. Love, Daddy”
“Dear Lowry, I love quiet evenings with you after a busy day with the kids. You are my favorite person to relax with. Love, Dustin”
“Dear Mommy, I love how you play with me and make me giggle. Love, Ellie”
“Dear Ellie, I love to snuggle and watch movies with you. You’re so much fun to be with. Love, Brother”
“Dear Ellie, I love seeing you so happy and excited in the mornings when I come into your room to get you out of bed. I love our bouncing game! Love, Daddy”
(and one snuck in by Grandpa) “Dear Ellie Kate, I love your wonderful determination to do what you want to do! Love, GareBear” (well, that’s one way to put it…)
“Dear Honey, I just want to thank you for being there for me. When I am feeling down or stressed, just holding your hand or getting a hug makes me feel so much better. Thank you for helping me laugh! I love you! Love, Lowry”
“Dear Daddy, Thank you so much for showing your love for us in so many ways every day – the cooking way, the cleaning way, the reading way, the bathing way, the tickling way, the hugging way. We love you! Love, MJ, Ellie, and Mommy.” This is based on a favorite song of ours, There Are Many Ways To Say I Love You, by Mr. Rogers.
Won’t it be neat to see how the penmanship and themes evolve over the years? This year MJ can sign his own name, and write a few of the words.
That’s the thing with family rituals. They stay the same, grounding your family and marking the passage of time with comforting familiarity even as you experience life’s changes and challenges. They truly are the glue that holds a family together.
Lowry Manders is mommy of two young children in Dallas where she is a music teacher, writer/ blogger, and creator/ presenter of Parent with Purpose and Teach with Intention seminars. She loves to share great parenting tips and ideas, and reflect on how she tries and often fails to “practice what she preaches!”
