Dr. Dale Galloway tells the story of a shy, unassuming little guy named Chad. One February before Valentine’s Day, Chad came home and told his mother he wanted to make Valentine’s cards for everyone in his class. Her heart sank for Chad as he told her because she watched every day as the children from Chad’s class walked home from school, talking and running, and playing, but never including Chad in their fun. She chose to remain silent, though, and to help Chad with his desire to give his classmates Valentines. For nearly three weeks, Chad and his mother worked tirelessly to craft thirty-five different cards.
Valentine’s Day finally arrived, and Chad excitedly loaded his hand-made Valentine’s cards into his bag and bolted out the door. Mom thought it was going to be a tough day for Chad so she thought some nice warm cookies and a glass of milk would help to ease the pain of the day when he returned from school. Surely he would be disappointed, for she knew the children were unlikely to remember Chad in their Valentine’s. She was hurt to think how bad this day was going to be.
That afternoon she had the cookies and milk ready when school was out. She heard children outside so she looked out the window, and sure enough, here they came laughing and playing as always. Chad was following behind all alone, as always. He was walking a little faster than usual, though. She waited for Chad to burst into tears as he made it to the door. His arms were empty, and she could hardly choke back the tears as he burst through the door.
“Mommy has some warm cookies and milk for you,” she said.
But Chad hardly heard a word she said. He just walked right by her, his face aglow, and all he could say was:
“Not a one…not a single one!”
Mom’s heart sank.
Then Chad added, “I didn’t forget a one, not a single one!”
Little Chad demonstrated the backward rules of the kingdom.