patron saint of cardwriters and chocolatiers

my dad used to make us valentines and slip them into our lunch boxes.  they'd always have rewordings of michael jackson songs and the like.  he would draw elaborate hearts.

the valentine's day before i met ben, my then-boyfriend told me, on valentine's day, he didn't know if he was in love with me anymore.  you know, he was sure he loved me.  he just didn't quite know what it felt like to be in love with me.  ouch.  (although in a now-funny twist of fate, i did get a romantic-y gift from a good friend of his who i was more-than-flirting with...no, it wasn't my shining moment of morality but...it sure took the sting off of my dying relationship.)

this past weekend b asked me, so what's your take on valentine's day?  it's the kind of question that seems to pre-answer the question if it were returned.  my take on valentine's day...

i said it was a good excuse to be romantic.  i said i could think of worse things in the world.  i said i don't ever need an expensive dinner or jewelry or flowers or chocolates.  (side note: never really liked just chocolate.  i know!)  i said what i would like, always and always, would be a card.  store-bought, handmade...i'm not picky.  but cards are my favorite.  they last forever.  they capture the emotions of a moment.

it helps that my handsome husb is probably the best cardwriter of. all. time.  he fills all the blank space with his own words and they are always...perfect.  i was rifling through my nightstand and found the stack of cards he's given me in the last almost-7 years.  i sat in the quiet of the morning and read them over again.  all of that love and sweetness washing over me.  renewing me.  i know i can always count on his words to do that for me.

so yeah, valentine's day is a commercialized mess.  if you let it be.  i'd much rather have a quiet day to ourselves.  maybe a picnic in the park.  a simple card-swap.  hand holding.  etc and etc.

just as long as there is no mention of not really knowing if one is in love with the other.

yikes.

picture from somewhere...i saw it on one of karey's posts...