Read on for the story behind the inspiration for this item and how it can take otherwise ordinary moments and make them extraordinary.
My husband and I went on a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend in 1989 while stationed overseas, and for the past 20 years wehave continued to be involved with other couples who strive to enrich their relationships on a regular basis. This gift idea was inspired by a short presentation given by one of those couples about 15 years ago. They talked about how good solid relationships are built one moment at a time. At the end of the presentation each couple was given little hearts and encouraged to hide them for their spouse to find. At first it sounded kind of childish, but we decided to give it a try, and I'm glad we did.
We each took a heart and hid it for the other to find. The first time I found one I had an instant flush of excitement tingle in my cheeks that put a big grin on my face as well as in my heart. Over the years, I've experienced this warm and fuzzy sensation whenever I find a heart that my husband has hidden. I then spend a few minutes trying to think of a good hiding spot where he will stumble upon it and get a similar sensation. Sometimes they are so well hidden that it's days before we find one, but it's a little romantic gesture or game that we continue to play simply because it is fun. Sometimes, when one of us needs to travel we each keep a heart in our pocket so we can finger it, which prompts fond thoughts and feelings about each other.
Approximately 5 years ago, we shared the idea with another group of couples as an inexpensive way to introduce a little fun into their lives. Recently, they've begun asking about getting some new hearts to replace the well worn ones that have inadvertently gone through a laundry cycle and the ones that have either been lost when they fell out of a pocket or hidden so well they are considered missing in action.
Their inquiries and the release of the movie Fireproof, prompted me to dust off this idea, upgrade the quality of the hearts we were using as tokens of our love, and make them available to any couple who is willing give this simple idea a try. Or if you'd prefer to do it yourself, check out my article on HandmadeNews.org entitled DIY Valentine Project – Make a Gift that That Keeps on Giving. Its publication date is scheduled for January 17, 2010.
Whether you buy one of my packets of Love Tokens or decide to make some for yourself, my hope is that you will at least give this idea a try as a way to appreciate the unnecessary and add a spark of romance into your everyday lives.
Happy Valentine's Day!
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