Saturday, February 14, 2015

I hate Valentine's Day...

Oh wait, don’t get all pitiful on me. Don’t feel sorry for me. Don’t get maudlin, thinking this is going to be some heart-braking blog entry. This is just a momentary bit of whaa.

Let me begin by saying Steve did NOT observe this holiday…EVER. He copped out by saying this was a holiday designed by Hallmark and he thought it was stupid. I never received flowers, candy, or lovely jewels on this day of cupid arrows and gushy love. We never went out to dinner on this “crowded, cramped, expensive” day meant for sweethearts. I was lucky to get a card, but I never counted on it. St. Valentine simply did not exist in our home.

So why have I become so lumpy today? 

Why, when doing a quick few stops this Saturday morning to buy a few little Valentine gifts for my six grand children, did I become so pathetic witnessing all these shoppers, madly searching for the perfect gift for the love of their life?

I now really hate Valentine’s Day. My day began at Target. I was going to pick up a couple of toys. Right off the bat, I was standing a Customer Service and, there beside me, was this young man.  He was carefully using borrowed cashier scissors to cut the stems off his roses to ensure they would look just perfect in the pink bow tied vase that he had purchased. Shyly, he looked up at me and ask if I thought the finished product was worthy of his girlfriend. I smiled, nodded and told him she would love his gift. I was then met in each isle of every store I went into with people madly grabbing flowers, candy, cards, and anything that had a hint of red or mention of a heart. I hate Valentine’s Day.


I found myself driving into the dreaded HEB parking lot around 4:00 p.m. The line to get into the parking lot was horrifying. Mastering a parking place was even more grueling. Once inside, chaos hit. Every single shopper in that grocery store was buying food for a special romantic dinner. Flowers, balloons, candy oozed from each cart I past. Some romantic love station was playing background music.  Not to the wine isle needed a traffic cop to maneuver through the hoards of shoppers. 

I, on the other hand, was shopping for a family Sunday night dinner, not a special Valentine dinner. My cart was full of all the makings of chalupas, a birthday cake and lots apple juice. 

When I started this morning I was happily anticipating hosting Sunday night dinner for all six of our grandchildren, their parents, and our nieces and nephews. David, Kim and the children are coming into town from Berkeley. Excited because it has been way too long since we have seen them, I invited all the extended family for dinner Sunday. So, here I was making plans for a fun Sunday. Little did I know, that evil little cupid was waiting around every corner ready to jab me with his horrid little arrows. 

I think, had I not had to venture out today, I might have forgotten today was Valentine’s Day, or maybe considered it a non-event. I hadn’t given this holiday much thought at all. But, after today, I have a word of warning for all of those who, in the future, might find themselves alone on Valentine’s Day…stay home!

You see, even though Steve refused to celebrate this Hallmark holiday, even though there were no gifts waiting for me to unwrap, even though we didn’t go out to eat, even though there were no red roses, we were together. 

Steve and I would plan to cook some special, favorite meal. We would drink our favorite wine while we cooked dinner with our favorite music playing in the background. I would light a fire and set a candle lit table and we would laugh, maybe dance a little, cook, drink wine and celebrate the love we had for one another in the most natural and sweetest way possible.

Why did today hit me so blindly? I have no clue, but I know, I hate Valentine’s Day, and will be glad when this night has passed.

The good news is tomorrow, David and his family of 4, Lynn and her children, Brooke and her family of 4, along with Steve’s sister Bonnie and her family of 7 will all gather.  My home will be full. We will laugh, we will eat, we will play and we will love one another. My heart will be full and this night will be long forgotten. I can never overlook how very blessed I am. I am loved and I love. My life is good, and Valentine’s Day, well, it holds wonderful memories.

For what it’s worth,
Janet

1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”