Today, as I look forward to the plans my husband and I have made for this coming Valentine’s weekend, I also find myself looking back, recalling various Valentine’s Days from my past. From those first pink and red heart-covered shoeboxes filled with little valentines from my elementary school classmates, to the preschool performance of my own son at age three, dressed in a tiny black tux with a red satin bow tie and cummerbund as he pointed directly at me while singing the words, “Valentine, valentine, I love you!”; from the year I was four months pregnant and had pneumonia with a two-year-old who also had pneumonia, to the year I received a phone call that my brother had taken his own life; and from the time I published an article promoting unique local Valentine gifts in my weekly newspaper column, to the time I went with my teenage daughter to a Valentine’s Day performance of the Vagina Monologues, a play which raises money to end violence against women and girls around the world; to say I have experienced many different types of Valentine’s Days is certainly an understatement.
Of course, many of my Valentine’s Day memories are of a more romantic nature. Some have been hits. Some have been misses. Just like everything else in life. There have been gifts, and poems, and special dinners, but as I sit here reminiscing, there is one Valentine’s Day that stands out for me as being the most romantic.
Vintage valentine I found on a recent outing to an antique store
The surprises of the day began early, as I opened my car door to head off to work. My husband had covered every surface of the interior of my car with valentines. Assorted cards that come in a boxed set, the kind that kids exchange at school, were taped to my seats, sun visor, windshield, even the steering wheel. After admiring them for a few minutes, I carefully removed the cards and placed them in the passenger seat. That was when I noticed a piece of paper that had a large number “1” printed on it. Not completely sure what it meant, I put the piece of paper with the cards and drove to work.
The first half of my workday was uneventful, and I was glad when lunchtime arrived. I joined my co-workers in the conference room where we ate together every day. After I finished my sandwich, I returned to my office to get started on the pile of paperwork I knew was waiting for me. I was completely surprised when I opened the door and discovered my office had been completely transformed. Rose petals were strewn across my desk and chair, there was a large heart-shaped balloon, and, again, there were valentine cards everywhere, including all over the ceiling! How my husband managed to get them way up there was a mystery, as was his ability to get into my office, especially since the doors to enter the building were always kept locked during our lunch period. A few minutes later, the office manager appeared in my doorway and told me how he helped my husband sneak in while I was eating. Everyone in the office had heard about what happened and came to get a peek. Once the excitement died down, I opened the gigantic card that was propped up on a chair to see the number “2” written inside. This was starting to get fun and it made me wonder if there would be any more surprises.
I worked for the remainder of the afternoon and had an uneventful dinner with my husband and children. After the kids were in bed, I went out on my back deck for a few minutes. When I turned to open the door, I could see there was a trail of rose petals on the carpet inside the house. I was amazed at how stealthy my husband had become, wondering how I didn’t see him or hear him even though I was just on the other side of the glass door. I looked for him, once I was inside the house, but couldn’t find him. I followed the rose petal trail from the family room addition, through the kitchen, down the hallway, and into the bedroom where my husband stood. The petals continued up onto the bed where they ended with a bouquet of one dozen red roses, chocolates, a very poetic and romantic card and a piece of paper with a large number “3” printed on it, along with the words “Third time’s a charm”. And, yes, indeed it was.
Hope you find lots of fairy-tale romance in your real world marriage. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Belle of the Ballpoint™ 