This is it! The big day of flowers, chocolate and a mushy card — or was that the chocolates.
Right about now you are saying that “here she goes again!” Negative about an important day of love. Actually I am not against the concept of love. I do find having one day a year to profess love a bit confining to me.
Al and I never made a fuss about this sort of thing. Valentine’s Day could be any day either of us wanted to make special. I would cook his favourite meal any time of the year. He would pick a bouquet of pussy willows that quite often were around the day of love. I have to tell you the last bunch of pussy willows Al gave me are to this day sitting in a crystal vase. Dusty, dry and well remembered.
We were less inclined to giving each other a pair of boxer shorts covered with hearts. The dogs did not have a collar festooned with images of love.
I can remember well the heart-shaped cakes my mother would make. One year the cake was presented a couple weeks late.
“Close enough,” she said.
If love was felt at the end of February, what could be better than that?
I know from my many years of teaching school that Valentine’s Day was a big deal. Something for Mom and Dad was made in art class. The children liked to receive and give “Valentimes” cards to other children. ( I wonder if the youngsters who always said Valentimes changed the word?)
In my class each child would have a paper lunch bag taped to the side of their desk. On the big day great excitement could be felt as they gave out cards and checked to see the cards in their bag. Little did they know that many cards had already been put in the bags by my mother and I. Those children who would not get much were very excited.
I fondly remember when my Mom brought a great many heart-shaped cookies for the children. Along with the plain cookies there was a bit of pink icing and a container of things to decorate the cookies. I hope the children from that class remember the happiness and love they felt and were given.
So you see I know the meaning of love and the idea of the special day. I hope you get what you want so you can feel loved. I can look at those old pussy willows and remember all I had in life as far as love is concerned.
I am not the lovey dovey type, but on this Valentine’s Day I do have to tell you how much I love hearing or reading your comments. You can call 250-846-5095 or email to mallory@bulkley.net.