Valentine's Day Busted?

For the past two years, April's and my Valentine's Day has had some impediment from enjoying the Hallmark ideal of what the day is advertised to be about. We all know of the expectations revolving around the consumerism of Valentines day: chocolates, jewelry, lingerie. Yet, between illness (2007) and the death of a beloved family member (2008), our past two Valentine's holidays were less than perfect. We vowed to make this year different.

April awoke at 7:30 to Breakfast in bed before she headed off to the gym for her Saturday morning gym class. Afterwords, while she was showering and getting ready for our Valentine's day lunch date, I washed and waxed my car (I had to clean it up to keep up to par with April's new car!). Our lunch date consisted of a High Tea luncheon which incorporated a 4-course meal served on floral fine-china and a choice of any of the tea room's 52 teas. After returning home, April and I waited for her Dad to show up at the apartment to go to a casual dinner at a sports bar around the corner. Once finished, we came out to discover a disheartening surprise.

April's car wasn't there. We had this car but one week and our first notion was that it was stolen. After closer inspection of the space which once housed the vehicle and some nearby signage, we discovered that her car had been towed. Once in her Dad's car in a search to get the car back from impounding, our directions to the impound yard brought us to the badlands of Tampa. After waiting for an hour or so for the one office attendant, also a tow-truck driver, to return to process payment, we discover that they only accept cash and in exact change. This, in turn, led us to find a gas station which would have an ATM where we would feel remotely safe withdrawing $180 for the impound fee. After returning to the impound yard, paying the attendant, and back into the vehicle, April and I bid her dad and step-mom farewell and a huge "thank you" (her dad graciously paid half the impound tab), we were on our way home. I went to bed that night, my wife laying next to me, both of us thinking, "another Valentine's Day busted."

This history of Valentine's Days got me thinking about the true meaning behind Valentine's Day juxtaposed to what it's come to mean in today's society. Valentine's Day, contrary to the American Ideal, is not about candy, bling, and sex all under the guise of love and appreciation; but rather about the celebration of companionship and the companion themselves--especially during the hard times. In 2007, April had a number ailments which overlapped, preventing any kind of Valentine's day festivities, but it gave me the opportunity as a boyfriend to support her when the illness became emotionally and mentally draining; in 2008, April's Grandmother died three days before Valentine's Day which again afforded me the opportunity as a fiance to offer her much-needed support and love; and this year, we both have learned how to support each other as husband and wife, band together in a time of need, and to always watch for "tow-away" Zones.

So when Valentine's 2010 arrives, the breakfast in bed may still be on the agenda, but my focus will be on the person which makes Valentine's day worthwhile instead of the events which characterize the holiday.