As my husband cleverly reminded me, this is just another day on the calendar for many people. Yes, I suppose this is very true, but even still whenever I write the date 2/14 at the top of a page, I can't resist drawing a heart around it. If that makes me hopelessly "girly," well, I am more than OK with that.
Some people complain that it is a commercialized holiday, invented by Hallmark for the purpose of guilting people into buying cards, candy, and flowers at an otherwise slow time in the retail year. Perhaps this is true on some level - I must admit I'm not completely up to date on my retail conspiracies. But it has always been my view that holidays give us an opportunity to celebrate things that need celebrating: our parents, our friends, freedom, gratitude, and in the case of February 14th, the great gift of love.
I am happy to be able to report that I was treated to one of the nicest Valentine's Days I can remember. The day began with breakfast in bed, served on a tray with a homemade cappuccino. At lunchtime, Steve arrived at the office to take me out, bearing a dozen red roses - cliché for sure, but they became cliché for a reason. It is always wonderful to be given flowers. We enjoyed a nice lunch at a nearby Thai restaurant. Then, after work, I picked up the fixings to make "breakfast for dinner." I replicated a favorite invented dish of ours from Rose's Deli: The Triple Pepper Omelet (pepper bacon, pepper jack, and red peppers). It was the general opinion that my homemade omelet was even tastier than the restaurant version. We toasted with mimosas, played a few games of Boggle, and then I made heart-shaped chocolate chip waffles with raspberry-maple syrup for dessert - accompanied by another round of homemade cappuccinos. We ended the evening with a bubble bath, with a CD of our wedding music playing in the background.
All in all, a terrific day.
Of course, what made it great was not just the "things" that I was made or given. The best part was spending quality time with my husband, my best friend. We had some great talks throughout the day over each meal, and there was a sense of increased closeness and intimacy at the end of the day. It's amazing to me how you can feel very close to someone, and then realize it's possible to be closer still. That is the power of love.
Also, it has to be said that this Valentine's Day afforded me a valuable learning opportunity, thanks to a favor requested of me by Daniel. Did you realize that there is a law restricting the overnight shipment of perfume?
It's true (as seen on the website of Marilyn Miglin beauty products):
The United States federal government considers perfume, eau de parfum and cologne to be Hazardous Material, due to its alcohol content. Therefore, according to new regulations, these fragrance items may not be shipped via air delivery without a “HazMat” fee of $30 imposed upon Federal Express. In addition, it is illegal for these items to be sent through the United States Postal Service.
So, if there are any of you out there who still think that Valentine's Day represents a real hazard that is putting the lives of our children at risk.......well, perhaps you have a point.
Personally, I'll still be drawing hearts around the date this time next year.
“What the world really needs is more LOVE
and less paper work.” -Pearl Bailey
No comments:
Post a Comment