Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day. This is the day that most of us are obligated to send cards and give candy. This year I went to the supermarket with my husband and I saw him picking out roses. They were quite expensive and totally unnecessary. I walked over to the florist area and asked him which ones he was picking out for me. He handed me the bouquet. I said they were lovely, thanks for the sentiment, now place them back in the holder. He wanted to buy them but I said no. As long as the thought was there, that is all I needed. As we are married longer, the sayings on the Valentine's Day cards grow sillier. What was meaningful when I was in my twenties is downright ridiculous now that I am 60 and married 36 years. In my 20's the card said that you took my breath away. Now walking up the stairs with my laundry basket does that. In my 20's you made my head spin. Now if I miss my blood pressure medicine, it spins. Years ago if I walked into the room and saw you, I got hot. Now it just means that the air conditioning temperature needs to be raised. As we grow, things change. There needs to be a section in the Valentine's Day card area for people married over 25 years. The cards need to say thanks for staying with me through all the crap of the last 25 (or 30 or 40 or 50) years. I realize that you had nowhere to run to but it is still nice to think that you stayed of your own free will. Now, take out the garbage, cook dinner and pay the bills. That is what love is really all about.