Valentines come in different shapes, sizes, messages — all in name of love

In case you’re still in winter hibernation mode and haven’t noticed all the extra red hearts in every store you enter, today is Valentine’s Day.

I can guarantee if you have at least one child in school, you’ve already purchased, addressed and Scotch-taped lollipops to at least 22 little valentines that came in a themed boxed. And it probably took at least 30 minutes to decide between the popular boxed themes this year: “Frozen,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Hello Kitty,” “Cars” and “Minions.”

If you have five children, that means someone was at your kitchen table writing names on the nearly 100 little valentine cards and slipping them into those never-big-enough white envelopes.

One of my favorite valentines (note: Not “the” but one of my favorites) was from daughter Chloe. It is a misshapen cut-out construction paper heart, with white lace on the back and scribbled with what looks like 4-year-old handwriting that says: “Thank you for making me food, so I don’t die.” She gave that to me when she was a 19-year-old college student. She always has been a quite practical and logical child.

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Daughter Phoebe and a few of her Anderson University friends were discussing their favorite valentines this week.

Freshman Marley McNeil said: “My favorite memory is my grandpa buying me a dozen roses every year since I can remember.”

Katie Kidman remembered a blue ring that she had desired came in the form of a small, red box containing a sapphire ring.

Phoebe chimed in: “My dad shipped flowers with a special card and one time gave us stuffed puppies.”

Rachel Fair noted: “When my sister and I were little, we would be each other’s valentines. We would make lunch together and act like we were going on a movie date, which was really watching a Disney VHS. We also did arts and crafts, making cards for each other, just spending good, quality time together — the best kind of love.”

Happy Valentine’s Day to you.