All weekend I kept reminding myself to write a Valentine’s Day post. Here’s the thing–we don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day in our house. My husband and I share a kiss, I’ll buy some V-Day cookies for the kids, but that’s about as far as it goes. We’ve celebrated in the past, but to be honest, it’s too expensive. Would I love a 60-minute massage or a dozen roses? I mean, I wouldn’t complain. But, that’s money best spent elsewhere.
What could I write about? I thought about my first Valentine’s Day with my husband. I was a senior in high school and he picked me up from school, a huge elephant with roses in the front seat (I love elephants), and in the roses was a ring (it went something like that – it was twenty years ago!). We went to see the movie Fools Rush In, too, back when it didn’t cost our savings to take a trip to the theater. Or, I considered writing about making out those little Valentine’s in grade school and that time I waited for a fellow author and classmate to leave his desk so I could sneak a Valentine in. I think it was fourth or fifth grade. (Bill, do you remember? Ha!)
But, alas, I didn’t want to write about romance on Valentine’s Day. I cover that in my books. So what could I write about?
Well, when I think about Valentine’s Day, I think about the color red. How about some of my favorite red things! These are in no particular order, of course.
- Strawberries. Tell me what’s better than a ripe, juicy strawberry? Well, probably strawberries with whipped cream. I look at them every time I go shopping, but I don’t always buy them. When I do, they disappear in our house in a matter of days.
- Cardinals. I’m not a bird watcher, and I couldn’t tell you most of the birds I see. The cardinal, though, is pretty obvious, and quite a beautiful bird. A cardinal represents many things, depending on your belief. From spiritual and religious meanings to igniting creativity, the cardinal is a powerful bird.
- Lipstick. Let’s get one thing straight–I don’t wear red lipstick, but I sure love it. When I was younger, I tried many times to get away with the bold color on my lips. I don’t know if I wasn’t confident enough to pull it off or it just didn’t match with my hair and face or what, but it never took off on me. I do love it, though.
I love red lipstick. For the record, this is not me.
- Candy. Skittles, M&M’s, Sour Patch Kids, Starburst–if there’s a red in there, I’m taking it. The rule is if anyone near me has a red candy, they must hand it to me!
- Roses. I mean, come on.