We don't celebrate Valentine's Day; my husband and I. We used to, but it just didn't quite work out.
By the first Valentine's Day of our courtship we had been dating for about a year. We should have known each other pretty well. He was working as a cameraman at one of the TV stations and had a short window of time between the newscasts to come to my house for dinner and then get back before the 10 pm news.
I prepared our dinner, set a romantic table, as romantic as a college kid's tiny apartment with a card table and a mish mash of dishes and candles can be, and waited for him to arrive. We ate our dinner; it was probably spaghetti, but I don't recall, and then we exchanged gifts.
I have no idea what I got him, but he got me a gift set of perfume with a bottle of perfume and similarly scented lotion, etc. He wanted me to open and try it right away. I obliged. And then I hurried him out the door back to work for the 10 pm news.
I am very allergic to perfume, and most scents of any kind. I had never had any perfume on me or in my apartment in that year that we had dated. But I guess he hadn't noticed.
I quickly washed my skin where I had applied the scent, took some Benadryl and stuck the box under my bathroom sink. There that box remained for the next two and half years.
Fortunately, Will forgot about that gift and didn't ask me about it again. I knew I would have to tell him before it was time to buy me a gift again. I finally did tell him and he felt bad about it, but he never forgot to NEVER buy me scented anything.
We continued to try to celebrate Valentine's Day, but it always seemed contrived and awkward and ended up a flop to go out on that date, along with everyone else, to celebrate our love, just because that day was deemed the day of love.
And then, in 1999, just a few months after our marriage, we decided to buck the system. We didn't HAVE TO celebrate our love on Valentine's Day. So, we didn't.
Since having kids we do have little Valentine's Day celebrations at home with red foods and heart-shaped foods and dishes and red and pink on the table, etc. It's fun and easy and not contrived at all.
This is not to say we don't have any romance or sweet notes or ever go out, we do. Not as much since having kids, but we do, it's just on our own schedule, not Hallmark's.
{Please Note: I do realize that Valentine's Day celebrations have nothing to do with Hallmark, but it's just a figure of speech, as it seems that Hallmark often dictates our card-giving holidays.}
And yet, I will admit that I did buy my husband a card this year. I happened to see one that I liked and decided to get it. And if Will saw a nice box of chocolates and wanted to give them to me that would be accepted {with open arms}…not that he has to, but I'm just remarking.
And on this Valentine's Day, we will have red and pink food and make heart-shaped dishes and drink pretty, sparkly Shirley Temples (the only time of year my kids get soda) as we sit around our table for a quick meal before we dash off to the kids' ski lessons on Friday night.
Have a Happy Valentine's Day, however you choose to spend it. Over and out…
Anna
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