valentine's day retrospective

as a kid,
valentine's was looked at with anticipation. i always wondered what great candy my friend's would attach to their Peanuts or Marvel comics valentine cards. would it be runts? or m&ms?

as i got older,
i'd watch with amusement and a hint of sadness, as a girlfriend of mine would open her locker to find a box of chocolate, or a teddy bear.....when the only thing in my locker were my books.

in high school,
we had a valentine's dance. all the girls in my group of friends would make cute shirts with hearts and slogans, tie red ribbons in our hair, and head to our local skating rink for dancing and chatting with friends.

at home,
i'd wake up to roses from my daddy. the only man who always remembered me on that day. not to mention a sweet card from both parents. they were always so considerate. to them valentine's represented all the love in their lives.

in college,
valentine's was viewed bitterly. cynically. a corporate holiday of excess. of the overly sensual. of the disgustingly sentimental. i celebrated by going to the vagina monologues instead.
or by wallowing in a bit of self-pity while watching movies like Love Actually with my girlfriends, as we ate lots of ice cream.

the last 2 years,
i've regained an appreciation for the day. a group of girls have gotten together, gotten dressed up, gone out to eat, and done some sort of cultured thing.

this year,
was the first year that i've ever had someone to celebrate the day with.
it was by far one of the sweetest and most memorable days i've had.
i'll share it with whomever wants to know.