The week after Valentine’s Day, I hit the clearance aisle at Walmart. It had kids’ valentines that came with pencils, stickers and other little treasures for just a dime a box. I spent $10 on 100 boxes. Mom will be thrilled, I thought.
My mom had taught kindergarten and bought clearance valentines with trinkets to fill her classroom’s “treasure box.” Although she’d left teaching to stay home with my siblings and me, she still got the valentines for her teacher friends.
This time I’d bought more than Mom needed. Who else could use the cards and trinkets? How about the food pantry where I volunteered? I dropped off the valentines and, a few days later, got a text from another volunteer. They’d used some of the treasures to make treat bags for kids who came in. They even set aside some boxes for next Valentine’s Day so kids would be able to choose cards for their school parties.
I pictured happy kids leaving the food pantry, holding a treat bag I’d helped provide. It was the best $10 I’d ever spent.
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