VALENTINES DAY - LESSON LEARNED
Valentine's Day is the up and coming event for all of us that are madly in love. There are those that want to rekindle the ol'sparky and those that hope to meet what will become the ol' sparky . This year, I am determined to carry the spark with me and remember the lesson I learned last year.
Al an I have been together for almost five years now. When the big V Day rolled around last year, I specifically told him not to buy me any roses. I realize that the wonderful florists around town depend on their rose bouquet sales to keep their businesses afloat after the big holidays. But I didn't want my fabulous man to break the bank on something that was just going to die anyway. Get a new furnace for your house honey, it lasts longer.
So in a valiant effort to economize, I requested- no roses.
(His head - I'm off the hook! I don't have to spend all that money!)
(My head - There are a thousand other different kinds of flowers you can buy instead.)
On the big day, I presented him with a multi-green, you can't kill me- house plant, along with a box of chocolates and a very mushy- from my own heart via Hallmark - card. The card alone set me back at least $4.99.
Guess what I got? A miniature Bonsai sized, teeney- weeney, teeney- tiny, minuscule, barely visible, this must come with an incubator, get out your Thesaurus and look up small: ROSE BUSH!!
(His head - I thought this was really pretty and I thought you would like it too.)
(My head - Just because I made the mistake of telling you not to buy me roses, you decided to stick it to me with this? Point taken! How hard was it for you to shop at the gas station! You have no feelings for me at all- in fact, you don't even know me! How could you do this to me? I will never make this #$$%@*^^ mistake again!!!! YOU - - stard!)
In an effort to present my displeasure and teach him a lesson, I scrolled some very unpleasant thoughts on his $4.99 card and stormed out the door with a slam so loud the neighbors five acres away were jolted out of their beds. I drove home in an absolute, dissatisfied rage and then sat in the garage long enough for the big door to close while I sucked up all that.... rage!
"Hi kids, I'm home" I announced with a false sense of serenity and up the steps to the living room I went. As I reached the top step, I noticed something very different about the room. My ex-husband and our three children were watching TV in my never been seen before ENTERTAINMENT CENTER?? (My head: What the heck? Where did that come from? Did my ex buy this for me or did Al? OK. Since you don't know the answer, don't say anything until you get that stupid look off your face and you can ask a reasonable question). Dumbfounded and a couple more stupid thoughts later, I formed the question very carefully.
My oldest daughter strained to lift her teenaged head from the sprawl for three on the sofa and said "Yeah, Al brought this over today. He had a friend with him and they carried this up the stairs. Then he hooked up all the games and the TV. Oh, and he vaccumed too." She then turned her attention back to the TV as if interrupted by a commercial break.
Complete shock.
I am such an idiot. I was wrong. Dumber than dirt wrong.
What I should have known and what I should have remembered was .........
This is a man that makes my pot of coffee before his own in the morning..
This is a man that brings me picnic basket lunches every Saturday.
This is a man that picks flowers from the garden for me when I'm having a bad day.
This is a man that makes sure my car has good tires and changes my oil.
This is a man that honors my children and my relationship with their father.
This is a man that listens to me. Even when I don't think he is, he really does listen to me.
This is a man that truly does love me.
"Oh my God. I have so much sucking up to do."
Back into the car and over to the man I just reduced to a decimal point for $4.99.
Many tears and apologizes later, I had learned one of the biggest lessons of my life.
Never doubt the ones that love you.
After the two weeks of ‘roll out the red carpet' sucking up that I did, Al was giddy once again. He thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my remorse. Once forgiven, and through much contemplation, I have found some advice that I can share with you:
The partner in your life may not give you what you want when you want it. The key is to look beyond yourself to find the gift that is given to you in so many silent ways. Then you will realize, the gifts are not so silent at all.
Happy Valentine's Day to all those that love.
PS to the biggie card company: When you invented this so called holiday, did you realize the amount of havoc you were creating in the name of cupid on this otherwise normal day?
Linda Schutz January 30, 2006 |
