Photo by Eric Keith / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo

Mrs. Hoge's kindergarten class displays their artwork.

This Valentine’s Day, you’ll probably stop for a moment and think about love. Maybe you’re blacking the date out on your calendar. Maybe you’re floating on a sea of hopeful pop songs. Maybe you and your loved one are OK with ordering Chinese again and watching the latest delivery from Netflix.

But remember a time when love was ... well ... easier.

You didn’t have to think about it or analyze it or make sure it wasn’t going anywhere. Maybe you couldn’t even really describe it, but when you were little, you probably knew love when you felt it.

That’s the case, at least, with Betty Hoge’s kindergarten class at Skaith Elementary School.

Before Valentine’s Day, they sat down with the News-Press and shared their thoughts, and some artwork, about love.

And maybe this sums it up best:

“There’s important stuff on Valentine’s Day ...,” said Ethen Townsend. “Like, there is important stuff. I don’t know what important stuff.”

What is valentine’s day?

“It’s, like, when you give your grandpa a present or something.” Lillie Kirby

“You give your friends stuff.” Austin Gawatz

“Giving people cards.” Whitney Zeamer

“Giving your parents presents.” Kaitlin Eidson

“New clothes.” Kiyanna Joy

“You give your moms and dads cards ... like the heart cards.” Ethen Townsend

“Caring about people.” Jackson Weddle

“Giving people candy.” Cian Bernard

“Loving people.” Bailey Ashton

“Do you know how to spell love? L-O-V-E.” Ethen Townsend

“L-O-V-E, L-O-V-E, L-O-V-E.” Lillie Kirby

How do people celebrate valentine’s day?

“We celebrate having parties.” Madyson Moran

“Give people new shoes.” Amanda Supnet

“We can have, like, guests come to our house.” Lillie Kirby

Who is your valentine?

“My dad.” Tanner Rullman

“My mom.” Austin Gawatz

“My dad,” Kobe Montgomery

“We’re havin’ a school party at school.” Lillie Kirby

“So who’s your Valentine at school?” Mrs. Hoge

“Um, Mrs. Hoge.” Lillie Kirby

“Brooke,” Bailey Ashton

“Lillie,” Brooke King

“Mrs. Hoge.” Lillie Kirby

“My dog.” Amanda Supnet

What is love?

“A book.” Austin Gawatz

“Um, loving people.” Jackson Weddle

“Um, caring about others and, like, if somebody’s sick.” Lillie Kirby

“When you give people cards.” Brooke King

“Loving your classroom and everybody else and even your friends and your teacher.” Jordan Schellhorn

“Loving your mom and dad.” Jackson Weddle

How does love make you feel?

“Good. You’re happy.” Keigan Schaffer

Why do we

love people?

“Cause they give stuff to you.” Keigan Schaffer

“ ... Because they’re kind to you.” Lillie Kirby

And finally, everyone in Mrs. Hoge’s class, including Adam Eaton, Joseph Ford, Jaren Kretzer, Christopher Pierpoint, Andrew Thompson, Eric Willis and Jeffrey Wilson, agreed that they loved their teacher.

“You’re a special teacher,” Lillie Kirby told Mrs. Hoge.

“You help us read,” agreed Ethen Townsend.

They also love their parents and grandparents and brothers and sisters and, of course, their dogs. And on Valentine’s Day, they’ll get the rare chance to have a party at school. It’s one of two for the year. The other one is on Flag Day.

On Valentine’s Day, the kindergartners of Mrs. Hoge’s class will bring special bags they’ve decorated and they’ll share valentines with each other.

They’re still not sure why.

But they know it makes them happy.

Kristen Hare can be reached

at kristenhare@npgco.com.