Valentine's Day Memoir

Valentine's Day 1990. I was 12. I had just turned 12 less than two months before. 12 was a big age because that's when a girl in our church advances to Young Women's. In my family, 12 was when I got to start wearing heels and nylons instead of flats and tights. I also got my ears pierced. I was growing up.

Our ward had a Valentine's Dance for a mutual activity. In the church, youth don't attend dances until the age of 14, but in this case, the leaders made an exception and invited the Deacons and Beehives (12- and 13-year-old boys and girls). I was so excited. Let me backtrack.

At about the age of 10 is when I became boy-crazy. I used to write a "boy list" in my journals at the end of each entry, which then, was every day. I listed the boys I liked from my #1 to #5, sometimes as many as 10. So going to a real dance was an exciting thing for me. Among the deacons, there was a boy I liked. I was so hoping to dance with him. Of course, my 12-year-old girl's mind had no idea that 12-year-old boys aren't interested in girls.

I didn't get to dance with him. Yes, he was there, but he didn't dance with anyone. He just stood on the side with all the other 12-year-old boys who were also there. I danced with two people that night. The first was my dad. He was one of the young men's leaders, so was there as a chaperone. I'm glad I got to dance with him. I don't think I danced with him again like that until my wedding.

But it's the other guy that really stands out in my memory. Rusty. No last names here. He was 17, going on 18, a senior in high school. He baby-sat me and my brothers many years before when I was in about the first grade and he was in the 7th grade. He was always a nice guy and would say hi to me whenever he saw me. But here's the catch.

Rusty was about 6 foot 2. I was about 4 foot 10. It was a slow song, and he danced on his knees and we were about the same height. I remember thinking two things--I thought it was so nice of him to ask me to dance, but I about died of embarrassment with him dancing there on his knees.

That is one Valentine's Day memory that really sticks out.
Happy Valentine's Day!