My Funny Valentine...

Happy Valentine's all!! I say this with meaning, but then Valentine's promptly leaves my head...completely. You see, I am just not a Valentine's girl. I have a lot of my Mother's sensibility with regards to mushy stuff. Yes, I'm affectionate and yes, I love with all my heart, but you will not see me pining away for roses and the like for Valentine's Day, measuring myself and my relationships against others'. I actually find it all rather silly, and while I don't condemn other's love of it, it is simply a rather non-event in my mind.

Some pine for romance and feel valued only if they are pampered and sent flowers and love notes regularly. Neither my husband nor I have too many "flights of fancy" when it comes to romance. In fact, we are both quite old-fashioned when it comes to that. I personally feel Valentine's Day is for the newly dating. If I had to wait for one day out of the year to feel loved and honoured, I would be an unhappy wife indeed. I need the daily tokens of affection. We have a cup of tea each night after dinner and now that the kids are older, no one is encouraged to interrupt that time we use to reconnect. If one of us is sick, the other picks up the slack. We pick each other up treats unexpectedly, and not because we are supposed to. Instead of flowers, I get things built for me. If I know he is tired and overworked, I'll make his favorite supper. He always pours my wine.

Some may want more obvious romance than that, but for me, those things make me feel appreciated and special. Case in point: one day I spied a bouquet of peonies in the grocery store. I "hinted" that I sure would love someone to buy me some. His response, "Anytime you want flowers, buy yourself some...you don't need to wait for me". Romantic?... not necessarily, but to me it showed me that he wants me to be happy and if weekly flowers will do it, then I should go ahead!! And I will...!!!

I guess I could berate myself for not being more "romantic", but honestly, I don't need grand flourishes. I'd rather feel cared for than wined and dined - and my husband knows it. He is very traditional in his "husbandly" role and almost always cuts the grass, shovels, and takes the garbage out. He doesn't find it proper to have me do it...afraid he'll look ungentlemanly, perhaps...or afraid I'll hurt myself with the lawnmower!! Hey, I'll take old-fashioned traditional when it works in my favour like that!!

Yesterday, he sat on the edge of the bed, and woke me up with the question: "What do you want to do about Valentine's?" I tilted my head and prompted him to make a good guess. As it dawned on him, he muttered those three words I love to hear: Chinese for dinner. As I gave him a big grin, he told me to meet him for coffee later in the day. At the coffee shop, as he was paying, he told the counter girl to load a $5 coffee card for me. As I teased him about being "too generous", the girl asked him if he wanted it in an envelope. Without missing a beat, he replied: "Of course, that's her Valentine's gift!" Well, I busted a gut and we had a good laugh over that one. That is another of the things I love about him...the way he deadpans his sarcasm keeps me on my toes and we always have great laughs together.

Another Valentine's gift he gave me was promptly putting up a new light I bought. I am an impatient sort and I had told him that perhaps I'd give it a try...after turning off the power, of course. He found this idea quite amusing and said if I did that, he'd likely return from work to find me sitting in a pathetic heap, crying, because I was overwhelmed and out of my element. I again laughed at how right he was...and I remarked how lucky I am to have a husband who knows me so well...who knows everything about me...especially my faults!!! Anyway, never one to pass up a free gift-giving opportunity, he installed the light last night...and even lowered his voice as he cursed my beloved light!!

So, manual labour, $5 worth of free coffee, and a night without cooking constitutes my Valentine's this year. You won't hear me complaining...the way I see it, chicken balls beat roses any day of the week!!!!!