Indulgence #171: Send Out Valentines

Valentine's Day embarrassed me as a child. Sure, exchanging those miniature store-bought Valentines sealed with the standard red hearts was fun. But then, around 4th grade, this shy girl got a boyfriend. Or "special friend" as is the mom-approved term at that age. I was horrified when the boy's dad hand-delivered a heart-shaped box of assorted chocolates and Valentine-wrapped sucker. A year later, I ran to my room in embarrassment when a new boyfriend (the old one moved) gave me a fancy candy rose complete in a clear case and a pepsi (his favorite).

I don't like red and pink and especially not red-and-pink in combination. Hearts are too cutesy, assorted chocolates are rarely tasty, and red roses are so unoriginal. And to top it all off, that overly shy little girl would rather a thorn in the eye than the attention drawn from said red, pink and heart-shaped treats. This is probably the reason I meet each Valentine's with a little lingering cynicism.

We inherited the extra bubbles from my brothers wedding, so I set my negative thoughts about Valentine's Day aside to make Valentines with Brylee for her little friends in mom's group. I posted her picture on Facebook and my mom's comment that I was teaching her well made me think more about this simple activity. I want Brylee to learn to be loving, and to not be hindered by my cynicism or dislikes. Indulging in a little Valentine-making with the girly was a perfect opportunity to get a holiday attitude-adjustment.