I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day. What girl doesn’t want an entire day to celebrate love? “Oh, love, sweet love.” I’m a sucker for love songs too.
When I was a kid in grade school, we each decorated a fancy box with white tissue paper and hearts cut from red construction paper. A hole was slit in top of the box. Our classmates dropped in Valentine cards with all sorts of silly sayings on them.
Some even contained candy hearts with sentiments such as Be Mine. Love You. Kiss Me.
After getting married, my husband showed up the first few years on the love holiday empty-handed. He quickly learned that a Valentine’s Day without a gift or card did not a happy wife make. Especially when my friends got together the day after to share what they received.
He got the message. He didn’t always buy a card. But he got it about the candy. After we had three little girls there were always four boxes of candy. Years later, he added red roses to his gift giving.
And then as the years went by, shopping became difficult for him.
I told him it wasn’t necessary to express his love through gifts and cards. We had our share.
However he somehow felt he was shorting me.
He became adept at finding other ways to surprise me.
One year he drew a huge heart on white paper, colored it with a red pencil and wrote, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Dear. I Love you.”
Other years I would buy one card to share. I’d sign it adding a special greeting and then he would do the same.
I have several sweet cards that he made on paper napkins. He’d draw hearts and write his love message. A few times he wrote I love you in short hand which he excelled at and had to translate for me.
I have a stack of cards from him tied with a ribbon. They’re all I have now to cherish.
I miss him every day. But I realize he did all he came here to do. Husband, Father. Grandfather. Those were his coveted roles.
So ask me now how important it is to have a store bought card. And I’ll tell you money can’t buy a card from the heart.
Barbara, This is lovely and such a tribute to Raymond. I particularly love the last line. Happy Valentine's Day to you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tribute to Raymond, the love of your life. I remember those Valentine boxes we made at school. I remember I always wanted a Quaker Oats box because being round seemed so cool and different from the regular old cereal boxes. Funny memories. Thank you for making me smile.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful memories you have of a man who truly was a 'valentine'...
ReplyDeleteI totally agree.
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's Day!
What a sweet tribute. I hope these loving thoughts and memories made the day a little less sad for you.
ReplyDeleteBack when I was working I always got my wife gifts and cards, but after I went on retirement and my monthly checks were much smaller Valentine's Day cards and gifts seemed like a bit too much to be spending. I think my wife would agree. I did fix her a special dinner though and she seemed very pleased with that.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Hi Barbara, I enjoyed your post. Valentine's Day is special to a girl. I remember making the Valentine's Day boxes out of shoe boxes at school. Charley and I always exchange cards and he gets me flowers (or should I say, I pick out the flowers). I also love handmade cards and the thought put into making them.
ReplyDelete