Dear Elena...

This month we are celebrating Valentine’s Day that is dedicated to love. Our book is “Roses are Pink Your Feet Really Stink” by Diane de Groat.

In this book Gilbert is supposed to make valentines for everybody in class. Gilbert likes Patti the best and makes her card first. When he gets to Lewis he remembers how Lewis tweaks his nose and it turns red. He also remembers when Margaret makes fun of his glasses. So Gilbert writes something not nice to Lewis and sign it Margaret. He writes a not nice card to Margaret and signs it Lewis.

When everybody is opening valentines, Gilbert likes the one he gets from Patti, but Lewis and Margaret are both upset because they got valentines they didn’t like and there is mayhem. Gilbert, Margaret, Patti and Lewis start fighting. No one talks to Gilbert or plays with him at recess. The teacher explains that Valentine’s Day is about love, not fighting. So Patti asks Gilbert why he writes mean notes. He explains how Lewis tweaks his nose and Margaret makes fun of his glasses. Elena, it is great that they talk about this so the misunderstandings can be worked out in a way that is not hurtful to anyone. Gilbert decides he will write new valentines for Margaret and Lewis and then everyone is happy.

So what is the moral of this story? It goes to show that just because someone does something that upsets you doesn’t mean you do something back that is hurtful and mean. It never pays to do something not caring and mean. As we can see, Gilbert gets caught doing this and it makes a lot of trouble, and he learns that Lewis and Margaret really do like him, even though they did something not nice.

Gilbert learns the lesson of forgiveness. It is better to forgive than to do something nasty in return. Elena, forgiveness is a beautiful thing. It allows a wrong to be right and that is very powerful. When Gilbert forgives Lewis and Margaret he is expressing love and love is what Valentine’s Day is all about. Gilbert learns that when you approach people with love in your heart you can never go wrong.

Valentines Day is about honoring love by expressing it. There are different types of love. Romantic love like that of Mommy and Daddy and there is the love for your parents and their love for their children. There is also love for your friends, pets and much more. Love is the most powerful force in the universe because it endures even after someone is gone. Love has no bounds. It never has to end. Love is what Mommy feels for you and there is no end to that feeling. Mommy and Daddy will love you always, without end. Love is something that is always appreciated.

Remember, sweet Elena, it is forgiveness and love that you want to hold onto in everything you do.

Happy Valentine’s Day, so very precious Elena!