Today is Valentine’s Day. Two things come to my mind whenever I think of Valentine’s Day. I was in the fifth grade and the night before Valentine’s Day my mother would give me Valentine’s cards to sign for my classmates at school. I had a huge crush on a girl named Tammy.  I remember making her Valentine’s card special. The next day I couldn’t wait to give her my Valentine card and receive a card from her. I wrote all over her card and colored it and made it a big deal. I remember getting her card with excitement. She didn’t even sign her card, it was just a plain valentine card and it didn’t even say “Will you be my Valentine”. She didn’t even smile at me when giving me her card. It was like I had a disease. I was crushed and hurt. She doesn’t like me! I hate Valentine’s Day! Yes, I remember well what happened to me on that Valentine’s Day in fifth grade.

Fast forward to me in my forties and happily married. Now I am going to brag. I would not say I’m a romantic guy, but I try to be. Our church always held a Valentines banquet and it got to be a pretty big event over the years with well over one hundred people attending the banquet. It was a nice couples evening out. I was asked by the people who were in charge of the Valentines banquet if I would serenade my wife Roxie in front of everyone as part of the program. I said I would.

So I pondered about what to sing to her in front of everyone. Then it came to me. She is the biggest Donny Osmond fan I know. In high school she had all the Osmond albums, posters of Donny Osmond in her room, collected any teen magazine with Donny of the cover. Donny’s biggest hit was Puppy Love. So I decided to serenade my wife with the song Puppy Love. How fitting is that, since we started dating when we were freshman in high school.

I can’t tell you how many times I practiced singing the song Puppy Love in my car. I had a cassette tape of Puppy Love and played it over and over and over. Singing loudly in my car traveling down the road. I perfected it!

And they called it puppy love
Oh, I guess they’ll never know
How a young heart really feels
And why I love her so

And they called it puppy love
Just because we’re in our teens
Tell them all, please tell them it isn’t fair
To take away my only dream

I cry each night my tears for you
My tears are all in vain
I’ll hope and I’ll pray that maybe someday
You’ll be back in my arms once again

Someone, help me, help me, help me please
Is the answer up above
How can I, oh how can I tell them
This is not a puppy love

Someone, help me, help me, help me please
Is the answer up above
How can I, oh how can I tell them
This is not a puppy love, not a puppy love

So at the Valentines banquet, Roxie had no idea what was about to happen. After a nice dinner the program began and the master of ceremonies asked Roxie to come up front. He sat Roxie in a chair facing the hundred some people that were in attendance. He said to her that we have a surprise for you. So the music started and I got up from my chair and walked toward the front where Roxie was sitting. While approaching her I started singing Puppy Love to her. Got down on my knee and held her hand and belted the song out the best I could. Her reaction was something I will always remember. Complete shock, and at first it was funny, but as I was ending the song with the words “This is not a puppy love, not a puppy love” The tears began to flow, she was overcome with emotions. We both cried and gave each other a long hug. Roxie will tell you that was thee most romantic thing I have ever done for her. She still talks about it. Every Valentine’s Day she reminds me of that moment.

My suggestion on Valentines Day is to give your loved one a hug and kiss and say I love you. It is that simple and a cheap thing to do. Actually you should do that every day. Happy Valentines Day.