Last night as I was helping tape Starbursts to cheap Valentine's Day cards I experienced a flashback that explains my anxiety about distributing cards on Valentine's Day.
I was probably in first grade and my mom had bought me a DIY card kit. I spent hours with little or no help putting those puppies together, only to find that the envelopes didn't actually seal. Remember when Valentine's had envelopes? So being the resourceful person I am, I grabbed a bottle of glue and glued every single envelope. I don't think there was even any candy enclosed, but if there were it was probably those Necco Conversation Hearts- Yuck.
When it was time to celebrate in the classroom and everyone was busily opening their cards I remember a boy in the class complaining loudly about not being able to open one. Another piped up and then another... my glue job was too thorough and no one could pry open their cards. I sat quietly taking in the frustration of my peers, praying that no one would actually get theirs open to read the painstaking "Alyssa" I placed on each card.
What prompted this flashback? I don't know, but it had something to do with my stress about taping Starbursts to the cards. If I taped it on the side of the wrapper that opens the candy, would the kids be able to get to the candy? Or would the tape be too much and the candy rendered unopenable? I had to take a breath, talk myself down and remind myself that it was just tape.
Not glue.
2 comments:
I was about help Molly tape Reese's peanut butter hearts to her Valentines, when Madeline yelled at us. She remembered that someone in Molly's class has severe nut allergies and we could be causing all kinds of problems. It was late Monday, so Molly's card had no candy. I felt sad. Luckily I had splurged and let her pick the good cards.
Remember the furniture polish incident?
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