Dearest Elena,
I’m so excited to tell you about this month’s book, The Little Prince, in honor of Valentine’s Day which always falls on February 14th. It’s a day that celebrates LOVE. In fact, your grandparents, Papa and Coco, were married on Valentine’s Day. The Little Prince gets to the essence of love.
The story begins when a pilot crashes in the desert and happens upon the little prince who asks the pilot to make him a drawing of a sheep. You see, sheep can eat the plants that turn into baobobs which could kill his true love, a rose. His rose has only four thorns to protect her. He fears for her. He even puts a glass over her and waters her faithfully. He explains that grown-ups don’t understand any of this.
The little prince tells the pilot of his travels and the things he has discovered. He goes to seven planets looking to find friends he can learn from. What makes them happy? None really convince him. When he comes to Earth and sees thousands of flowers just like the one he loves on his planet, he weeps. What kind of a prince is he who owns one ordinary flower?
Then he meets a fox who tells him that if the little prince tames him, the fox’s life will be filled with meaning due to the prince’s kindness, and he will always love him for this. The prince realizes that his flower has tamed him because his happiness depends on the rose that is the only flower in the world to him. It is his flower and he so lovingly cares for and protects her. Then the fox shares his deepest secret: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.
So, my dearest Elena, how is this all about Valentine’s Day and love? Well, the heart is the part of you that loves and the fox is saying that the things that really matter are seen only with the heart. So, like the little prince, you can search the universe and ask everyone why they feel what they do is important, only to find that the relationship you have with the things you love is what actually has greatest value.
Valentine’s Day is a day to cherish the things and people you love. Your Mommy and Daddy love you so much. When I was telling you the meaning of this story on our walk, I started crying, telling you that I will love you until the day I die and even then I will still love you. THAT is the meaning of today’s story.
This year you are Mommy and Daddy’s valentine. I love you Elena. I can’t even begin to describe how much, always and forever.
Happy Valentine’s Day!