My Favorite Valentine's Day

As many people were making real posts for the Valentine holiday, I decided that I had better do something. I myself am pretty much indifferent to Valentine's day. It has not been a day of dread for me, nor has it been a day of excitement and joy. Never really having any type of girlfriend, and not desiring one much, Valentine's day becomes just another day. Yes, I've written my cards in the past, and have received them at times, but if they meant anything to me then, that meaning has lost itself to me now completely... well, all except one, which stands out from all others. Interested? Thought not.... but here's the story anyway.

It was two years ago to the day. It was my senior year of high school and I was in Mexico, visiting a place where I had gone to five years earlier on a youth group mission trip. It was Rancho Sordo Mudo, or in English "Ranch for the Deaf/Mute." It was a type of boarding school for Mexican children with no hearing. I was there during February vacation, which incidentally fell over Valentine's day. In fact, the day that we traveled and arrived there was Valentine's day (I remember opening my carry-on and finding a Valentine from my loving Mom:). So I was to stay with my good old friend, Evan. Evan was not a good old friend because we had known each other for a long time, it was that he was just old... in his eighties, actually. He was a quiet man who did almost all of the gardening on the ranch (which, if you saw it, you would know a reason why I visited the Ranch three times in my life and hope to again). He also was one of the teachers. On this day, the kids there (from all grade levels) enjoyed giving and receiving Valentines. Most of the exchanges were only between students, and only sometimes the teachers. At the end of the day, I was talking with Evan, as he picked up a card that he had received. I think it was from his class. With it were some conversation hearts. Reminiscently, it seemed, he commented that this was the only Valentine that he had received this year. I (either forgetting the one I had received from my mother, or not having found it yet) commented humorously ,"Well, then you got one more than me." He looked at me and smiled saying, "Not anymore!" as he tossed me the bag of candies. This was by far my favorite Valentine's day.