Be Mine

Or don't. No pressure. But Happy Valentine's Day! I know this is a sort of fraught, overwrought, "Hallmark" holiday, and while I'm not really into the fauxmance part of it (I love that word, "fauxmance"), I still love the happy-hearts-and-candy side of the day.

How is it that we went from cards and conversation hearts for everyone in the class to the stress of an expensive and forced romantic encounter? I remember my second Valentine's Day in college, my mom sent me candy and a yellow raincoat and conversation heart printed pajama shorts. Amazing! So fun! So cheerful! So much better than the forced romantic gestures of the previous couple years. I realized then that I wanted to keep Valentine's Day a fun day--the kind of day when my mom is my Valentine and I drink wine and eat candy with friends and never, ever do the whole prix fixe V-Day menu and generic jewelry thing if I did have a dude in my life.

Of course now I'm married.

So I don't spend Valentine's Day at the bar with all my friends anymore, taking turns telling stories about bad dates and worse breakups and cracking each other up. But prix fixe menus and high pressure haven't reared their heads in my life either. Our first Valentine's Day as a married couple we hosted a small party, which is definitely my favorite way to celebrate. When V day falls on a weekend (or later than Wednesday) again, I want to throw another one. So fun. 

We don't really do official Valentines Day stuff. There is no obligation for gifts or special romantic plans (I think the full extent of our plans tomorrow is to pop into Blind Lady for Valentine themed beer flights). But Matt usually gets me something around this time of year anyway. But since we don't officially celebrate Valentines Day, he doesn't wait for the day to roll around to present it to me. I'm the luckiest!

So last week Matt gave me this copy of Young Romance: The Best of Simon & Kirby's Romance Comics. We both love comics and graphic novels, and I'm particularly interested in the history of comics geared towards girls, and I love getting kind of irate and indignant over the melodramatic morality stories. Does my man know me or what? 

Fortunately, by the same rules that make early presents not really early, because we technically don't celebrate Valentine's Day; my present for him isn't really late, because we don't technically celebrate Valentine's Day! Yess! Victory!

Anyway, whether you love it or loathe it, I hope you have a good day. And if you're able, call your mom and ask her to be your Valentine.