We celebrated Valentine's Day this week. Maybe I'm just not in the mood right now, but Valentine's Day seems to be a manufactured holiday. What are we really celebrating? Being in love with someone? Familial love? The idea of being in love or being loved? What happens if there isn't a romantic love in your life? Does that make you feel lame? I hope not, because people ought not to feel lame just because they aren't in a relationship. I remember the days prior to marriage - I did not have a boyfriend most years. I actually broke up with guys the week or two before the day of 'love'. Since marriage, some V-days have been ok. Eric was out of town for a couple years in a row so we didn't even see each other on V-Day. This year, the kids and I picked out a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Eric. Then we went out into the snow to eat big bowls of Vietnamese soup (pho). It's Eric's new obsession. He ate it twice so far this week. It was nice to go out together but not terribly romantic. Besides, if my mate truly cares for me, I would expect the dishes to be done and demonstrations of true love on more than just one day a year. I guess our notion of 'romance' changes as our lives change. As we grow older, the true and effectual things matter more than infrequent big productions to prove our love to each other. What will romance be when I am 73? Someone who will bear with me as I develop Alzheimers. That's love, true love.
Besides the non-event of Valentine's Day, life is good. Konrad is growing super-fast. He often rushes around the house cleaning everything he can find. At times, he has this inner need to clean everything up and cannot go to bed or watch a movie before everything is picked up. Even in my bedroom. You'll se him carrying laundry to the basket, moving shoes, coats, bags and toys to their rightful places. He is also obsessed with numbers. He can play with a calculator forever. He needs to know everyone's age and compare everyone's age, counting to 200 or rattling on about being 41 inches high... I thought it was weird at first, but it's probably a phase and I should nourish it just in case he ends up being a mathematical genius.
Anders is lovely. He's starting to speak and can understand complex instructions. I wrote exams for the entire day last Saturday - not fun. AND I did book my flight to Paris as well. I read your blog, JLW and I agree - if we can live with our husbands for this long, we can remain friends after 2 weeks of travel. It's gonna be great. I can't imagine what it'll be like to be without children for 2 weeks but Im sure I'll make every minute count. I already have plans to read a book on the plane, study metro maps, ooohhh, springtime in France. Can't wait.
p.s. The picture above is where I'd rather be right now. It's been freezing cold for too long and I am in serious sunlight deprivation. The picture is from our holiday a couple years ago when we rented a place on the ocean in Mexico. It was gorgeous, peaceful and WARM.
2 comments:
Hey, my Valentine's Day was just as romantic as yours. Chinese food - delivered - then a whole night of catching up on Lost. Oh and of course the expected holiday *** that goes with Valentine's Day.
Did you see a copy of the Metro on V-day too. On the cover, there was an ad in the front asking a girl by name to read her horoscope. On the bottom of the horoscope page, there was a marriage proposal. First of all, this guy has some $$ because ads aren't cheap. Second of all, puh-lease, how "typical" can you get by proposing on Valentine's Day, or even Christmas at that. I wouldn't want to be "normal" like that.
And with regards to your post on my blog, I guess you're right. They can't kill off Meredith when the show is named after her, but it would sure shake things up.
Anyways, here's to France, my good friend. I can't wait!!!
When I said Metro, I meant the Paris Metro System. No, I don't read the papers.
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