Ah Valentine’s Day! I’ve always had a lackluster relationship with this holiday. Most years I try not to think of it and just kind of get through it you know?
The last two Valentine’s days, were spent at mass vow renewals…no joke. I watched others renew their vows hosted by The River where I was a morning radio show personality. Typically single people don’t surround themselves around marrieds on February 14, occupational hazard. I always left feeling a mass amount of love and hope in my life.
Randy Phillips, the pastor who officiated would always tell me in the weeks leading up that I always had an option to bring a guy along, and he would be more than happy to marry us for the first time along side the renewals. Ha!
Other than that, I vividly remember four other Valentine’s days.
V-day 1988: Fourth or Fifth grade, Adam Labelle gave me a box of chocolates. Turns out his sister who was friends with my older sister made him because I had a crush on him.
V-day 1996ish: My father surprised me with a beautiful heart pendant and chain on Valentine’s day.
V-day 1998: My roommate Stephanie put together a V-day party at our apartment for her single friends. She made tons of heart shaped desserts and really went out of her way. My other roommate didn’t have to attend because she wasn’t single. But my third roommate, Cara, well let’s just say a la Deana Carter: We didn’t shave our legs for this. So we hung out with guy friends that night including a man that if I remember correctly eventually became her husband…
V-day 2004: My first Valentine’s Day in Austin. The guy I was dating took me to dinner and to see Phantom of the Opera. Sweet.
Which leads me to V-day 2011. I usually am unphased by Valentine’s Day. But due to recent occurrences I decided this was going to be my frozen heart V-day. Everyone needs one at some point right?
Who says Valentine’s day doesn’t need a Scrooge and a Grinch. Let’s just say my heart had become two sizes too small…
All weekend long I listened to OutKast’s Happy Valentine’s Day (parental discretion advised). I was primed and ready to go!
That’s what I thought. Until I woke up to the messages of two men…My men:
My dad…
Happy Valentine’s Day! May you always be surrounded by love and peace. Have a great day.
My nephew…Who called with his little boy voice (where did his baby voice go?)…
Hi crazy aunt Roxanne. I wanted to tell you something….I spent the weekend with my grandma. And HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! It’s Valentine’s day here. Do they have Valentine’s day in Texas?
And my black heart melted…totally melted.
So, Happy Valentine’s Day. And please reach out to those you care about and say those words. They be planning on having a black heart V-day and you may be the one to melt their heart.
Great post Rox … family first, especially when it comes time to hand out smiles, love and good wishes. Next in line is old friends
Good call!