Eyes that see the good in things- Feb. 11, 2019

I have to confess that I’ve always been a little cynical about Valentine’s Day celebrations. It was never one of those important holidays to me and one that I wouldn’t be heartbroken if it was forgotten. Although, honestly, with all the hearts, flowers, cards, stuffed animals and decorations that are displayed in stores, it would be pretty hard to forget Valentine’s Day, wouldn’t it?

Don’t get me wrong— I wouldn’t be very happy if my birthday or anniversary were forgotten. And I’m all about making memories for other holidays. I guess Valentine’s Day is one that I have never really gotten all that connected to. Maybe it’s being told that we have to do something on this certain day; because I love getting flowers and I love being surprised by them. But getting them on Valentine’s Day almost feels like you’re getting an obligatory gift, and I don’t like that.

Yes, I told you I was a little cynical about it. And I get it that there are people who really love Valentine’s Day and I say more power to them. It’s just not me. So, I’d have to say I was interested some conversations between a few Facebook friends recently.

One of them told a story about when Valentine’s Day became important to her. It was the year her husband had lost his job and things were difficult financially. Suddenly, when she knew they couldn’t afford it, those heart shaped boxes of candy, flowers and the fancy meal in a restaurant meant something to her.

They decided they would celebrate that year, after all, just not like they normally did. She purchased an economy cut of steak and researched how to cook it. She bought a cheap bottle of wine and spent the afternoon cooking a delicious meal for the two of them.  

Her husband surprised her with a dozen roses that he’d picked up from Wal-Mart and they really enjoyed their evening together at home.

It was doubly important for her to celebrate that year because she kept thinking about the story about her aunt and uncle’s last Valentine’s Day together, the aunt who now encourages people to remember how important it is to savor the simple moments with their loved ones.

Her uncle had been scheduled for a routine surgery the morning of Feb. 15. When they got the call to schedule the surgery, he was reluctant and wasn’t ready. The aunt pushed him into scheduling the surgery, telling him that his health condition was serious and the surgery to fix it was routine.

That Valentine’s Day, the aunt came home to a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a sentimental card that made her cry, along with a heartfelt written message from her husband. He insisted on taking her out for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. They got home early but continued to talk for hours about the past and about the future.

The uncle had a massive stroke during his surgery. Although he survived, he was no longer able to speak, and he died a few months later. He left his wife with a beautiful memory of their last Valentine’s Day together and she treasures it, but she also makes a point of reminding her family how important it is to savor the time they have together.

In the day-to-day busy-ness of life, I think I forget that and it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that kindnesses shown to the people we love are never be a bad thing. So, when I saw this article called “New Ideas to Celebrate Valentine’s Day” on the Celebration Society website, I was interested.

The article encourages us to extend our sentiments to other people in our lives and get together with some of the other people who mean so much to us.

Her suggestions include:

Valentines for Mom and Dad:Why not send a special Valentine to your parents letting them know how grateful you are for the sacrifices they may have made over the years in order to provide for you? Or a love note, just for them. Write down the different ways they showed you love over the years and thank them for it.

Valentines for Friends: Sometimes we tend to take our friends for granted, just like we take our families for granted. Why not write your BFF a note and let them know how important they are in your life?

Valentines for Kids: Remember the memories we have of our Valentine’s parties at school? For moms with young kids, this is a great opportunity to get together for a playdate and let the kids create Valentines for whoever they want while their moms have an afternoon together with friends. Buy some heart shaped cookies to serve, provide the kids with some craft supplies and let them create. Not only do you get an enjoyable afternoon, but the kids create some lasting memories.

Just when I thought I had no Valentine’s Day spirit at all, I found a treat that even I thought would be fun to make. The key word is EASY and it’s cute. It’s a Rice Krispie treat, cut in a rectangle shape. (Cheater alert here, you could even cheat and buy these to dress up a bit.) You put a lollipop stick in and then dip the top quarter of the bar in melted chocolate. Dip the end in some pretty Valentine’s Day sprinkles and drizzle some white or pink candy melts across it. Let ‘em harden a bit and then you can wrap them individually in plastic wrappers and colorful ribbon and have a cool Valentine’s Day treat.

Do you have special plans for Valentine’s day? How would you like to celebrate?

However you decide to celebrate, have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

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