Monday, January 26, 2015

hit me, St. Val

I was dashing through the Walgreens across town today to grab BUBBLE GUM flavored children's ibuprofen because the "fruit"  flavored stuff just ain't cutting it and if Thing 3 is going to insist on a 101+ temperature for days (and the  Dude is going to get an ear infection) ,  I am sure as heck stocking up on the one medicine flavor they'll take without protest - and I had been thinking about how awful everything feels right now.   The cold, the lack of sun,  the multiple doctor visits where we're told to wait things out,  despite the baby coughing so hard it made him throw up 4 times before 9 am this morning...  so in this crazed haze, I cut through the Valentine's aisle on my way to the drugs.

And people,  it gave me hope. I know there are people out there who claim Valentine's Day was invented by Hallmark and it's a unnecessary hassle - but to me,  especially in that craptastic moment,  it was a single,  shining reminder that there is something to look forward to. Cutting up construction paper hearts and taping them up all over the walls,  making Valentines with the kids,  dying all their food red for a week and chocolate everywhere you turn...

If I was going to invent up some holiday to sell greeting cards,  I'd put it in mid-winter too. Thank heavens some guy with a nifty name and did some nifty thing that we celebrate centuries later with cheesy cards and candy was born or died (I don't know which one it is) in the middle of February.
I need this holiday,  y'all. Every crappy and overpriced heart - shaped anything  - every DIY  gift that includes sappy double-entendres - I need it.   To the Pinterests we go!!!

4 comments:

M said...

14 February is the day Saint Valentine (in Roman times) was buried.

Jane said...

Can you imagine if we had to go from Christmas all the way until Easter with nothing "seasonal" vomited up in the middle of the stores?
I'm glad the color of St. Valentine's Day is red.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this clever blog post. Erma B would be proud of your witty prose.
Thank you to the Romans & Irish for timely stepping stones to spring.

Miss D said...

OMGOSH, yes. I used to be anti-Valentines (i.e. one of the Hallmark protesters) but that was before I lived in places where winter makes you want to chew your own feet off. Husband and I were even discussing coming up with an additional St. Woozit's Day for the end of January because we've decided there just can't be enough holidays in the middle of freaking winter. Also, our tree (which is a live one, bought at the beginning of December) still stands and a January bush, now a February shrub. We're keeping it as long as it's green. Cuz winter, y'all.

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