The pressure to send or not send Valentine’s Day cards looms heavy for some of us. As a terrible gift giver, I am not a fan of the romantic weight of the holiday. If someone doesn’t send me a card, does that mean they don’t love me? If I don’t send one to them, do I not love them? Wading through the number of options in the stores and online to find the perfect card is exhausting. And then what about the candy, the flowers, and the fancy dinner out? It’s overwhelming.
Reading too much or not enough into the message of a card befuddles me. If a card I receive is silly, how do I take that? When my husband and I first started dating, he sent me a Valentine with a cute dog on it. The message said, “I’ll scratch your ears, if you scratch mine.” I was crestfallen. I guess I was hoping for a down-on-the-knees declaration of love or at least a “Be Mine” first-grade kind of card. (Note: We had been dating only a month. I see this noncommittal card with much more tenderness now than I did then.)
Here’s an alternative idea—but not an obligatory one. Create a Valentine prayer. This idea came from Kate Beeby whose prayer is at the beginning of the post. It is a prayer for her Dad. It is thoughtful and playful. It includes things he loves and people he loves. Words like sarcastic, funny, and smart describe his personality. This card was a real gesture of love and respect. Kate used one of the Heart templates from the Resources Page under Doodled Templates for Any Season. There are three in that section; they are posted below. You can click on the name underneath for the one you want or go to the Resources Page. Below are three possibilities to use as a template/framework for a card. Or, you can start from scratch and draw your own!
Two Hearts and Dots
Heart in the Center
Heart and Stripes
What to write on the prayer card is up to you:
–Your perception of what they love and honor
–Personality traits and strengths of the person
–Things you are grateful for from or about them
–Favorite Scripture passages of yours or theirs
–Ways they have affected your life
–Memories of them or of times together
—Their character defects —Just Kidding!
–Blessings and hopes for them
Another idea is to write a Valentine to God. Here is one I found from 2012.
Thanks to Kate Beeby for her Valentine prayer idea and for the use of her Valentine.
What a wonderful idea!
I love to use your prayer grids year-round, so I am always grateful when you provide us new ideas and frameworks.
Is the heart in the center a live link?
It was not! Thank you, Connie, for discovering that and letting me know. It is good to go now.