Happy February 14th

One of my very best friends recently echoed this exact sentiment... which then brought other friends sharing their thoughts.

I felt compelled to share a little more than a what a comment on FB will allow...



Anyone who knows me knows I am a very happily married man. I love my wife Lillian, and still enjoy spending time with her. This Valentine's day marked 19 years of us being together. Long, looooong ago, while I was a student at URI, working in the cafeteria, I used to enjoy “checking her out”. Word got around that I thought she was beautiful, and word got back to her too. She sent her best friend in to the cafeteria with a Muppet's valentine for me. It was Gonzo, and said, “Valentine, you're 1 in a million!”. She had written her name (dotting the I's with little hearts) and her phone number on the back. I called her that night, and as they say, the rest is history... We've had our ups + downs, good times + bad, she's put up with all my shit over these years, and still, all the while we've managed to love each other.

Does this mean that I HAVE to buy her a special gift on Valentine's day? No. It does however mean that I like to take a little extra time on this day to show her how much she means to me. Do I think she doesn't know how much she means? No. We do lots for each other every day. However, when stuck in the day to day, work-a-day, just another day living, stuck in the ruts of working, and cleaning the house, doing the laundry, carting the kids, tending to all their needs, running errands, etc... February is a tough month. The holidays are done, the kids are back to school, spring is still several weeks away, so things can get, well a little... blah...

So, every February 14th, Valentine's day comes around, yes, with all of its over-commercialized nonsense. But, its a chance for us to do something a little extra, just a little something for each other. For many years now, I'd made her chocolate-covered strawberries, this year, though, I made heart shaped shortbread (her favorite) cookies, half dipped in chocolate, and decorated with icing. I bought her a huge bouquet of roses, a little something else, and we're going out to dinner at the Lucerne Inn tonight. Just the two of us, no kids, just us.

Is this the only time of the year I do anything like this? No. I love to cook, and make treats for her. I love cooking nice big dinners on Sunday nights, with different desserts too. I do buy flowers other than just on Valentine's day, and we do occasionally get away for dates without the kids. However, we do “celebrate” Valentine's day with each other. So why NOT celebrate Valentine's day? It's just another day right? Maybe so, but it's fun to take the little extra moments, spend a little extra time, enjoy a little extra kissing, just take a moment to remember, and to really enjoy each other.

Those of you who disagree will say, “Well just do those things every other day... don't buy into the Hallmark holiday maaaannnnnnnnnnn!” To which I say, “Why not?” We do enjoy each other every day, but why not take the extra time on February 14th. It's just as good an excuse as any other. Yes, life is too short, but, life does get in the way sometimes... Those of you who are married with children will know exactly what I mean...

So, I say, enthusiastically, “Happy Valentine's Day, Lillian, I Love You!!!”.