Above / A good guess would be that navigating walks throughout May Watts Park could total more than 10,000 miles over the past 32 years. (PN Photo, Jan. 2025)
During this month of heart healthiness and Valentine’s Day, a transplanted Napervillian in Florida reminded us to “be careful with the hearts we touch.” In other words, he said to handle friends, family and folks close to you with kindness and care, especially individuals who bring light into your life.
More than a few times since 2001 when PN began promoting the good things in this community, this commentary has included memories from my childhood growing up in Muncie, Ind. My parents, no longer with us, were married on Valentine’s Day in 1947.
Ever since I was a little girl, the shortest month has been a big deal for our family. Valentine’s Day was celebrated with long-stemmed red roses for my mother, Lowery’s chocolates for my dad, and candy conversation hearts and red hots for us three kids. And several years ago I was reminded of the handmade funny Valentines I’d created, cards my dad had saved until he was 96!
One image of our front yard back when I was a teenager, forever emblazoned in my mind, is the time it snowed just before dawn on Valentine’s Day. When Dad went outside to pick up the newspaper in his big boots, he stomped a huge heart in the front yard for my mother. What a joy it was to anticipate and observe her surprise when she opened the living room drapes to let in the morning sunshine.
Another memory was changing schools mid-year in first grade. Candy conversation sweethearts had taught me to spell “luv” incorrectly. What’s more, when my new teacher asked if I knew how to write my name, I proudly stated that my dad had taught me and I printed, “S-T-E-V-E.”
She said, “That’s not your name!”
(My dad named me Stephanie after his college roommate, Steve, at Purdue. Dad always called me “Steve.”)
With my teacher’s instructions, it didn’t take long to appreciate my dad’s astute awareness that five letters were easier to remember than nine.
February also has been when we’ve moved into a larger home—first that time in Muncie, Ind., in 1954; then about 40 years later, married with three children, in Naperville—with plenty of travel, growing up, business experiences and other residences in between.
Thirty-three years ago this month, our family of five moved here from Chatham, NJ. After about five years of researching places in the Midwest in an effort to relocate a little closer to my folks in Muncie, the volunteer spirit we recognized that had established North Central College, Naper Settlement and the Riverwalk attracted us. Back then, my cousin Candyce Krumwiede who lived here sent a book that highlighted the city’s history, good schools and parks written by Jini Clare. That little book served as another inspiration to visit this active community with the DuPage River running through it, preparing to grow from a population of 89,000 to 150,000.
Then I flashed to a recent phone conversation I had with a salesperson who wanted to know how to text me. I answered, “I don’t text.” And I’m mindful that nobody and no city are perfect.
Embracing ways to make lives better from one generation to the next in a place where local enterprise aims to work, welcome and accept is an admirable goal. The span of cultural literacy and traditions evolves with many changes from decade to decade, here, there and everywhere.
Enjoy memories created all along the Riverwalk, as well as the volunteer support and can-do spirit that bring folks together. The original Riverwalk, begun for the City’s Sesquicentennial in 1981, grew from the Washington Street Bridge to the Hillside Road Bridge after private funds were raised via Riverwalk 2000. I’m forever grateful to former Riverwalk Commissioner Cliff Preston for inviting my participation to help with private funding back in 1995.
Last month, while walking freely along the Riverwalk, as I have for more than 30 years, simply thinking about thousands of stories represented by commemorative bricks and benches, I couldn’t help mixing up lyrics and singing, “If I give my heart to you, will you promise to be true and help us understand all the ups and downs of January 2025?”
No matter where you live, thanks for putting your heart and treasure where you think it matters most. Thanks for reading!
– Stephanie Penick
PN Publisher
