I Get it Now!

I have been somewhat anti-Valentine's Day for most of my dating life. When I was a freshman in college (and not yet dating Ted) I protested the fact that people are celebrating a "Saint's feast day" with such materialism! Kind of like everyone uses Saint Patrick's feast day to get drunk. I walked around telling everyone "Happy Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius!" and, quite shockingly, didn't get the kind of reaction I had hoped for.

When Ted and I had our first Valentine's Day a year later, we decided not to celebrate.  After all, we knew we loved each other. We said it all the time. And we spent lots of time together-going out to eat, taking walks around campus, attempting to play tennis. And he gave me little surprise gifts. And I made him blueberry muffins for no reason. And he gave me cards and wrote letters because "it was the first Tuesday of the week." And one night I got a call from him in the middle of the night telling me to go to the window of my eighth story dorm room. I drug myself out of bed to see that he had spelled out a life-sized  I Love Katie in the freshly fallen snow.

Yes, we were romantic. And we didn't need an overly commercialized feast day of some obscure Saint to prompt us.

We dated for several more years, avoiding Valentine's Day each year. Sometimes there might have been a special dessert-but that was just more of an excuse to have sweets.  When we got engaged, still no Valentine's Day. And as a married couple, the day meant nothing to us.

And even though we are still madly in love, in only a few short years of marriage and one little kiddo later-those long hand-in-hand walks, sweet notes, and just-because cards are getting fewer and farther between. I can't remember the last time I got a "first Tuesday of the week" gift, and I haven't made him a special dessert in ages. And since we're in Florida now-I doubt I'll be getting a romantic message in some freshly fallen snow any time soon.

So, I think I want to change my opinion on Valentine's Day.

(This is a big deal-I don't change my opinions often.)

Of course, I didn't tell HIM that I want to change my opinion-so I will be getting nothing. But that doesn't mean I can't make the day special for him. I have seven hours until he gets home from work-I better get started!

But first thing's first-hacking into his email again so he doesn't know it's coming. :)

Happy Valentine's Day! And Saints Cyril and Methodius while we're at it.