I’m not that fiery girl anymore, but I do feel that Valentine’s Day can be silly and inane; after all, does an expensive bouquet or jewellery or lingerie actually indicate the level of romance and love in a relationship?
While the boys were making their class valentines, they also zipped off a couple of pictures for me:
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| Me and Mark, on a snowy day. My hair has lovely volume. |
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| Me and Jake, standing in a sprinkler. “Usually I make your hair orange,” he said, “But I thought you might enjoy it pink.” Alarmingly, he is quite accurate as my hair really is pretty orange these days. |
With pictures like that, who could ask for anything else?
The other day I was in the checkout at the grocery store when an elderly man, clearly hard of hearing, spoke very loudly into my general vicinity, “DO YOU HAVE A VALENTINE’S DISPLAY? A DISPLAY FOR VALENTINE’S DAY?” The cashier seemed a bit confused and so I spoke to the man, directing him to the display of chocolates and cards located near the front entrance. “DO THEY HAVE THOSE POT OF GOLD CHOCOLATES? I WANT SOME OF THOSE POT OF GOLD CHOCOLATES FOR VALENTINE’S DAY.” I told him I thought there were a number of Pot of Gold chocolates to choose from. “GOOD. BECAUSE I NEED TO GET SOME THOSE POT OF GOLD CHOCOLATES.”
I thought about that for a while. I wondered if he was buying chocolates for his wife, because he always bought her Pot of Gold chocolates for Valentine’s Day; maybe she liked having an assortment. Did she like the kind with nuts, or maybe she liked to be surprised with different combinations of caramel or nougat. Maybe they ate the chocolates together, talking about which they liked best, the coffee flavoured or the ones with almonds. Maybe it was something he had been doing for decades.
And that’s when I thought that Valentine’s Day is not silly and inane. A small gesture like getting someone’s favourite chocolates can be more meaningful and special than anything. I thought about that old man in the grocery store; I thought that if my husband and I were still sharing a bag of Hershey’s kisses forty years from now, what a beautiful Valentine’s Day that would be.
Valentine’s Day is a special kind of torture for my pink-phobic boys. If only I could find some Star Wars Valetines!
Great view point! I never thought of it that way. I sort of get annoyed at Hallmark. But ya, in forty years, if my hubs is buying me chocolate, well, it does mean something.
Good take! Love it!
The part about the pot of gold made me all sniffly.
I’m too tired for my usual Valentine’s Day rant. And I am glad the old man is buying Pot of Gold chocolates, for whoever.
This is so sweet – I enjoyed the visual of you sharing your bag of Hershey’s kisses. Yum!
I try to use valentine’s as a day to perform a little gesture of love, while avoiding the commercialism.
What a sweet post.
I love Valentine’s day because people aren’t even slightly coy or apologetic about it being a completely secular holiday. We drop the saint & trade sex acts for chocolates. After 2 months of the Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas wars & working up to the Easter Bunny/He is Risen heat of Easter, I love a good ol’ fashion materialistic lust filled holiday. Add glitter & by golly, I’m set.
And now I’d give up my cats for a box of Pot of Gold chocolates.
I hope you guys have a wonderful valentine’s day. It really IS the simple things, like sharing a bag of Hershey’s Kisses you get on clearance. It’s remembering to give each other treats all year long. And the glitter. 🙂
That’s a lovely store about the gentleman at the store and you are right. After 40 years, that is a great way to spend Valentine’s Day.
We also made sugar cookies. Not only heart-shaped, but hockey stick shaped. Ah, to be Canadian.
LisaDay
Found you and wanted to say hi…and Happy Whatever (Valentine’s) Day…I’m with ya…while it’s just another day that ends in “Y” I better be taken out to dinner, get a gift that screams WOO HOOO, and some chocolate!!
The drawings are cute and the Dogs name “Barkley” is adorable.
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