Valentines Day - Bah Humbug!

It’s coming…

Every year, around this time, it happens…

Valentines Day

I’m a romantic girl at heart. In high school I dreamed of that tender moment when someone would send me flowers. It happened on my sixteenth birthday. Awwww; except it was my father who sent them. I walked around the rest of the day telling everyone they were from someone else. That’s right, I lied about my daddy sending me flowers.

I had a boyfriend at the time. He was a real cutie, only not so romantic as to send me flowers. He was the one I thought I’d marry (I’ve been an idiot girl for a long time you see). If I remember correctly he did give me flowers and a little stuffed bear type thing (I still have no idea what it was!) and we named it Cecil. He dumped me a month before my senior prom, was sleeping with one of my friends, and went on to become a rather famous make-up artist.

I recovered from my broken heart and stumbled upon Beloved. Truth be told, I didn’t like Beloved much. I thought he was a JERK. It’s true. When he asked me out, my mind screamed, “NO WAY JERK!” however my mouth said, “Okay…” To this very day I do not know why I said yes. Snicker.

Long story short, we’ve been married for twenty-one and half years. He’s been a good husband and a great father, but he is not a romantic guy. Oh, sure, he’s had his moments. The anniversary ring on my left hand sneakily purchased on an outing with Boy (Beloved took Boy with him to show him how to shop for jewelry – awwww) and presented in a way that made me cry attests to this.

Yet, in my foolish woman’s heart I sometimes wish he was more…more…romantic…

I listened with rapt interest to a lady at the gym whose sweetie sent flowers to her office to celebrate their one month anniversary (dating anniversary that is). He’s talking her some where special for Valentines Day and hinted that she might want to wear a dress. Shucks, that’s sweet. She’s all a dither, let me tell you. Of course, I am totally sucked in and can’t wait to hear the details.

Yes, I know they are still dating each other representatives. They haven’t been crabby with each other in the morning, or confessed that they really hate wheat bread, or that she has a fear of dogs, including his Mastiff. Nope, right now they are in that blissful place of ignorance.

For me, Valentines Day is the day I buy candy for my household. It’s the day I used to make paper hearts with the children for their party at homeschool group. Sometimes we baked heart shaped cookies or little cakes. But, the children have grown up. Boy is on his own, Girl is busy with this or that and Saturday will find both Beloved and me working at our respective jobs.

We’ll be tired. We’ll be broke. It’s just another day after all.

Yet somewhere in my little idiot girl heart, I dream of starry-eyed romance.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “Why don’t YOU do something romantic for Beloved?” I have, in the past, but you have to understand that he’s not a romantic guy. He appreciates the effort, but he’s a logical, practical, no-nonsense kinda guy. Frankly, I think it’s lost on him and it’s not his fault. It’s just who he is.

So save your candy hearts, your sappy love poems, and your gooey chocolate for someone else. We’ll have none of that here. Instead we’ll probably watch an old episode of Stargate SG1 and go to bed early. After all, he’ll be tired after working a sixty hour week.

Wait! That’s pretty darn romantic isn’t it? Having a job in this economy?! Working overtime in this economy?! What a guy!

I’m just all choked up over that. Sniffle, sniffle, sniffle.