When I was fourteen a boy sent me a pair of cheap, red lace panties in the mail for Valentine's Day. He had found them in his brother's underwear drawer. (The brother was not a girly boy but apparently had a serious 17 year old girlfriend that apparently had a thing for cheap, red lace.)
I met the boy of the panties at a church dance. Kyle. He was my first kiss. An innocent first kiss in broad daylight at a water park with my little sister screaming "STOP IT! STOP IT!" in the background. It never went further than that.
I hid those underpants in my junk drawer until I thought I might have a nervous breakdown. The fear of my parents finding them was too much to bear. I threw them away like yesterday's panties.
Kyle and I never discussed the racey lacey gift out loud. That would have been super icky and yucky gross and weird. We only saw each other every two weeks at church dances so there was really very little time to discuss under garments when we were both so intent on showing off our Running Man skills on the dance floor.
I'll never understand why he felt comfortable sending me such a present.
The more I think of this story the more I realize that,
A) If a 14 year old boy ever sent something like that to MY daughter I'd find him and ram it down his heated hormonal throat and
B) Valentine's Day is a time of gift giving...
We all feel pressured to BUY BUY BUY on this most commercial day of the year.
Brightly colored hearts and candy dance before our eyes. They taunt us and remind us that love is about purchasing stuff. Stuff must be purchased for everyone, you know. Don't leave anyone out now! The butcher, the baker, the trashy naked neighbor. All of these people need love too. In the form of heart shaped sugar cookies and beady eyed red teddy bears.
IT'S MADDENING!
WELL!
I AM SO OVERWHELMED WITH SHINY BALLOONS, RED ROSES AND FLUFFY FROSTING CUPCAKES I COULD DIE.... OF HAPPINESS!!!
YES!
JOY TO THE WORLD! VALENTINE'S DAY IS COME!
I have no patience for Valentine's Day haters. None.
There is always someone to show kindness to. Even if it doesn't mean you'll be "gettin' some" later.
I just can't get enough of the day!
I love helping my little ones fill out Valentine's cards for each member of their class.
All those little ones in the first and third grade will feel so HAPPY AND SAPPY tomorrow. Their tiny hearts will well with joy and their tiny teeth will begin to decay with all the lovely treats to be had!
Even the kid that picks his nose will take a break from picking to open his cards. His nose will have a long deserved break from the constant prodding and digging. His nose is exhausted.
Valentine's Day is a WONDERFUL tradition inflicted on us all by corporate America.
My older girls spent an hour at Walmart today buying their friends gifts, like a gallon of Sunny Delight and a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. I'll put it in a gift bag so it won't look ghetto, they said.
Imagine the glee of the friend who comes to school expecting nothing and is met with gift bag full of Sunny D!
I LOVE IT!
I LOVE IT!
I LOVE IT!
I love to give gifts. I love to get gifts. I love to watch others receive gifts.
It's FUN to show our love and care for each other with a cardboard heart full of crappy chocolate!
I'm all about LOVING and LIVING and LAUGHING and GIVING and SINGING and DANCING without shame or remorse. I'll make a fool of myself if it will make you smile. It is my gift to you. I'm generous like that. ;)
I still can't say exactly what Kyle was thinking when he sent me those underpants.
What I DO know is that it feels great to give Stuff.
In the end all it really means is, I was thinking of you. You mean something to me.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER EVERYONE!
REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE!
May we all be kinder, gentler and a little less selfish.
Happy Valentine's Day.
