I have had some epic Valentine’s Days in my time, and I have had some so, so ones, even a few awful ones.  But thanks to my nephew and my alma mater, Berlin Community School I had the best one ever today. The kids in the first grade all get to pick a special valentine to come to their 1st grade class.  Nick is pretty much a rock star in my family, so, competition was fierce.  (If you know any first graders, you know that they can change their minds pretty quick!) In the end, I think it came down to Mom, Dad, Me and Pop-Pop.  But when the final decision came… I made the cut.

And making the cut gave me the coolest V Day ever.   With all apologies to some very special Valentines I have had over the years, this was a really special day I won’t ever forget.  First the kids did some songs, then they brought us on “stage” in pairs and recited why they looked up to us and gave us drawings they made.  Then we watched a video that the teachers produced with the kids.  The teachers did an awesome job with the video that even my TV producer friends would have liked.  (Must be nice to be able to use any music you want w/o paying copyright!)   Each kid had a still and it looked like this… each had a message…

Again, stellar job by the teachers producing that.  As if the day were not cool enough, I also got to see some great friends, and when it was over I was able to get a little tour of my old school by my nephew.  He and I walked the halls that I used to walk and those he’s just starting to walk.  We went by my sister’s room, his mom, where she teaches 4th grade.  I think she teaches in The Shire because the kids thought I was TALL?!?!   We also saw the library and the computer room and lastly the gym.  I had to walk to the gym because anyone that had the pleasure of a BCS education holds the memories of gym with Senholzi and Kirkwood sacred.  The cherry on top of the gym trip was THE RECORDS BOARD!!  The board holds all the records for the military fitness test the school does every year.  I saw lots of kids from the 2000’s, most actually.  I saw a few 90’s in there too… and then I saw the thing that was the cherry on top of an already awesome day… Rusty Galon 1984!!!!  PERFECT….(Rusty is a great friend of mine from the time I was real little, to this day and the last of my era to survive The Fitness Board!  PS. if you extrapolate his 5.7 in the 50 yard dash to the 40 yard dash that the NFL uses for measurement… he was running about a 4.5 I think!  NFL speed…)

I am sure in Valentine’s Days to come I will once again engage in the traditional route and spend time with a sweetheart.  I will stress over what thing I bought her, or didn’t buy her, etc. etc.  But things come and things go– moments last forever.  So, this Valentine’s the next and the next to infinity… whatever you do…make a moment for those that you care about… they’ll never forget it and neither will you…