Minor Holiday Hullabaloo

I am a fan on minor holidays and enjoy celebrating them almost as much as the biggies of Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. As a teen St. Valentine's day was always frought with angst. If I didn't have a boyfriend, the bitterness over the lovey-dovey crap prevailed and if I did have a boyfriend, I agonized over what to get him and how we would spend the day of love and romance. Now however, I find these kinds of days a great joy.

It is a simple pleasure to watch my children vacillate over which kind of cookie they want to bake for the sweetheart cookie exchange at King's Kids, and to help them make sure they got all 20 classmates names spelled right on their valentines, or to sit with them and go over the party supply list to choose what they want to bring. One of my favorite parts of this particular holiday is watching them delve into the little lunch sack type gift bag full of silly gifts, (this year a pair of valentines socks and a cupcake shaped marshmallow sucker) and with smile big goofy smiles, gush over how much they love what we gave them. Because, face it, all kids love presents, but as a parent it is heart filling to watch them open them and be amazed and excited.

I enjoy digging through boxes of valentines in several different stores until I find the perfect ones to give my co-workers. I sign them with pretty purple ink and attach the flimsy little cards to a piece of absurd candy of some sort, this year it's Tinkerbell ring pops.

But my absolute favorite part is when I am at a store, watching the men of all ages agonize over the perfect card for their loved one, from the love sick teen to the elderly man firmly rooted in the foundations of his marriage, to the thirty something who knows he can't forget like last year.

It is my hope that we all find a joy in these simple little holidays.


What I learned today: There are still very funny cards I can give my husband even after 14 Valentine's Days.