Guys, take note: Valentine’s Day or after, there’s no need to open your wallet to reach her heart.

My husband and I just celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. I’ll never forget the day he proposed to me. He put a 1-carat diamond ring on my finger and asked if it was too big. “Oh gosh, no,” I said. “You can never give a girl too big of a diamond.” And, I’ll never forget his reply: “I meant…does it fit?”

Yes, it’s true that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. And, size does matter. But, a good, old-fashioned love letter is still one of the best Valentines around. A handwritten love letter is a very powerful expression that she’s sure to save forever, and it’s got to be even rarer than a pink diamond in these days of easy e-cards and quick e-mail correspondence.

Guys, take note: Valentine’s Day or after, there’s no need to open your wallet to reach her heart. It doesn’t take much effort to make a lasting impression. And, this even works in a pinch, 365 days-a-year, if you’ve forgotten to buy that Valentine’s Day, birthday or anniversary present.

Just grab a pen and piece of paper and remind her of all the meaningful things she’s done for you. You know, show her that you’ve been paying attention. Women love that. And, we all have a shoebox full of old love letters somewhere.

In fact, I’ve still got love letters from my grade-school boyfriend, Toby. We met in third grade. He always addressed his letters to me, “To my sweat heart.” I never corrected his spelling. It was charming then, and even today it makes me smile when I look at it. You don’t need to write well (or win a spelling bee) to win a girl’s heart.

I ended up marrying Ken, my high school sweetheart. He can’t spell either, but his poetry and wildly creative love notes always melted my heart and made me laugh. I saved every poem and letter he passed me between class.

As an anniversary gift, I put all of these pages, full of memories and hopes for our future, into an album with “Love Letters” embossed on the front. Each anniversary we thumb through, smiling and giggling at all the secret codes he made (that I always took the time to decipher) and the connect-the-dots games he drew (that I actually connected).

Not sure what to write? Always say, “I love you,” be sincere, and, don’t be afraid to be a little childish or make a fool of yourself.

Be creative. Write your letter on plain paper, then cut it up so it can be put back together like a jigsaw puzzle (if you’re long distance, mail a piece a day until she collects them all).

Write your special someone’s name vertically on a sheet of paper. Next to it, write a kind word that describes them and begins with that letter.

Try just writing several words that describe her on a sheet of paper. Sign it, “Just thinking of you.”

Make them work for it. Instead of going left-to-right on your paper, write the letter in a spiral or circle (turning your paper as you write). Write your letter in a foreign language that she’ll have to translate.

With a fabric pen, write a note directly on a white bed sheet, then make the bed. Leave little notes or clues all over the house (on the computer, in the fridge, on her bathroom mirror) that lead her to the big letter.

Special Delivery (not necessary, but can’t hurt). Do the laundry and stick love notes in all your sweetheart’s pockets.
Run a hot bath, light candles, pour the wine, and float your message in the empty wine bottle. For an extra special touch, warm a towel in the dryer for your loved one.

Tam Ewers is a former Michigan Country Lines assistant editor who now lives in Missouri.