Valentine’s Day brings love and caring. Unfortunately, it also brings lots of angst. Choosing an appropriate remembrance can bring on major concerns for both the giver and the recipient.
When I was in grade school, a child might be concerned that when the much-decorated box was opened, there would be nothing there for her/him. This was before the days when the teacher sent home a list of students with these instructions: If you give a valentine to ONE, you must give to everyone in the class. Not a bad idea, by the way.
If one claimed a boyfriend and could rightfully expect a valentine in the box, that brought different worries. Would it be just a regular old one-penny heart or something spectacular she could show her friends — like a special card with an ‘all day’ sucker attached?
As we grew older the day was special — or not — depending on whether we were going steady or single.
And so, over the years expressions of love and the expectations of those expressions have changed dramatically. Now, men are urged to ‘go to Jared,’ ‘Life’s too short for ordinary jewelry,’ and so on. I wonder, is the angst still there? What if he goes to Sears instead of Jared or Sissy? What if the gift is practical, something she will use much more often than she will wear a diamond necklace?
Well, all the counseling in the world can’t save that relationship.
Hope you had a happy ‘hearts’ day. It would have been my (and Jack’s) 25th anniversary. But I divested myself long ago of any angst (I love that word) over it. I have a funny story about the third Mrs. Laster that I’m beginning to put on paper. I ‘heart’ you, pl