Happy Valentiny!

'Tis the season -- for love and romance and valentines. Speaking of valentines, I was neck deep in writerly tasks on Saturday when I ran across a post on Facebook that piqued my interest and sent me down a rose petal strewn rabbit hole.  What I discovered was a story with heart that deserved to be shared -- the story of the post office of Valentines, VA.  What follows is based on the true story of Kathy and Mr. Willie and the Valentines post office -- with a few details filled in.  So I hope you enjoy my informational fiction/historical fiction account of one of the sweetest stories around.  I hope it reminds us all, as adults, to take time to inspire curiosity in children around us.  For children, I hope it encourages them to keep dreaming and cultivating hobbies. You never know which one might change your life! For all of us, I hope it encourages kindness and sharing love in special ways.

This story was written for Valentiny -- a fun Valentine-themed writing contest hosted by Susanna Leonard Hill. 
The gist is:  

• Must be valentine-themed
• Must tell a story with beginning, middle, and end
• Must include someone feeling skeptical as a key part of the story
• Cannot be more than 214 words

You can find out more about the contest here: 

I hope my story earns your heart-shaped stamp of approval.  Let me know in the comments!

VALENTINES: STAMPED WITH LOVE
By Tonnye Williams Fletcher
212 words – based on a true story

When Kathy was a young girl, she loved stamps and collected them. 
She adored the post office, and visited the one in town, but the clerks didn’t have time.  So busy!  
She tried to talk to the postmaster, but he grumped and harrumphed away! 
When she tried to talk to the mailman, he honked his horn and kept driving!  
She thought postal people were wonderful, but now she wasn’t so sure.  Kathy was very skeptical.  

Then she heard about the post office in Valentines, Virginia.  Maybe the postal workers there were nice!  It was named Valentines after all! She tested her skepticism with a field trip.

When she visited on a busy Valentine’s Day, the postmaster, Mr. Willie, took time to show her the stamps and the very special cachet he had designed with hearts and flowers. It said, “Valentines VA 23887.” Every envelope coming through the post office in February got his special stamp.  He let Kathy help and shared some stamps with her.

Years later, Mr. Willie was old and sick. He was skeptical about who would run his post office, but he didn’t need to worry.  Kathy had grown up to love the post office, and she became the new postmaster of Valentines with Mr. Willie’s stamp of approval.

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