FOR PARENTS (1 of 3)

The Valentine Aardvark™ first visited our home in San Antonio, Texas on Valentine’s Eve sometime in the mid-1970s. I was probably four or five. A protégé of Santa Claus, the Valentine Aardvark borrows the basics from the Jolly Old Elf’s playbook. He visits girls and boys on Valentine’s Eve and fills their Valentine Aardvark pouches with simple treats.

You can imagine my shock when I learned that the Valentine Aardvark didn’t visit any of my friends’ homes. I am sure that I raised this issue with my Mom but don’t remember what her response was…. In first grade, hoping to get some more press for the Valentine Aardvark, I wrote a story about him (I assume the Valentine Aardvark is a boy). My first book could be checked out of the Marcus Whitman Elementary School library -- not much in the way of publicity.