Valentine Views

Yesterday was one of my very favorite days. I know a lot of people think Valentine’s Day is just a created holiday to sell things, but I like celebrating love. It is easy to get so busy in the day to day things of life that you don’t take time to tell people how you feel. Having a day set aside forces you, or should, to take that time.

Valentine’s Day has always been pivotal in my life. In elementary school, we made presents for our parents, then had to give out Valentine’s to every other kid in our class, whether we liked them or not.

We got rewarded by parties back then, in the olden days, with cupcakes and cookies our moms made and brought for the party. I know, hard to believe in this modern, home-made goodies are evil day.

As a teen-ager, I held my breath wondering if "that" guy knew I existed, and would prove it on Valentine’s Day. I still remember the time in junior high school when I got brave and sent the object of my affections something to let him know he was the object of my affections.

Unfortunately, he had no clue that I even existed, and wasn’t too impressed that I did exist once he discovered who I was. He and his friends had a good laugh at my expense to my undying and never-ending humiliation. Which lasted about three days until I got mad instead, and decided he wasn’t worth undying and never-ending. Perspective is a marvelous thing.

As I got older and my affections were returned, the day got more fun. Not only between me and whoever happened to be the significant other in my life at the time, but with family and friends also. By nature, I want people important to me to know that. A day that has stores filled with hearts, balloons, stuffed animals, silly things, serious things, flowers, candy, and anything else you can imagine helps me get my point across.

The most important Valentine’s Day was the one sixteen years ago. Gary proposed that day. We had been dating two weeks. It sounds outrageous, but it didn’t feel that way. It felt absolutely normal, and right, and good.

After 16 years, I look back and wonder at the fact that when we married, I loved him. But it was nothing compared to what there is now. I didn’t think it could be any deeper, or richer, or sweeter than what it was then. But it was only a small fraction of what we have now. Sort of like wading in the kiddy pool as compared to having the entire ocean to swim in.

It humbles me. I am so blessed in so many ways. Gary is beyond description as a husband and a father. I had no doubt he would be, but he goes even further than I expected. There is love, there is honor, there is respect, there is admiration. There’s not a whole lot of obedience, on either side. Since we are adults, neither one expects it. But mainly, we have so much fun together.

Most of that fun comes from trying to get Logan to adulthood. It’s a challenge. He is a unique person, this son that is so much his father, yet so much an individual. There are very few dull moments in our house. Crazy, mixed up, and bizarre, yes. Dull, no.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s a good chance no one else would have it either, which is fine with me. It doesn’t have to work for anyone else, it just has to work for us.
Since it does, I celebrated this Valentine’s Day with my very best friend. As an added bonus, we got to watch Logan’s eyes roll and hear him make gagging and choking noises while we exchanged gifts, kisses, hugs, and other things. Part of the fun is making the kid run to his room in disgust. In our house, you get extra points for grossing out the teen-ager.

Now we just have to figure out how to top ourselves for next year. Seventeen years for us, and Logan will be 14. He may be harder to make run next year. Gary and I are a team though, and we are committed to winning. My money is on us.


*****
There are volunteers from the Presbyterian Church in my neighborhood, cleaning up the absolute mess left behind. They are doing a terrific job. They are friendly, professional, and working just as hard as they can from morning to late afternoon. They are cutting trees, hauling limbs out to the curb, and probably doing a lot of other things I don’t know about. I do know they are most appreciated. Thanks, guys!