Remember when Valentine’s Day was one of the most exciting days of the year? Remember covering shoe boxes with construction paper, glue, glitter, and other decorations? Remember going to the store with Mom or Dad to choose your classroom-sized selection of miniature cards, carefully labeling the cards and envelopes with your classmates’ names, maybe including a piece of candy, and hoping you’d get some from them, too? I remember all that, not just from what I did but from what my kids did for school. And, now, Miss Lo enjoys that particular exercise.
Like Charlie Brown’s unrequited longing for the Little Red-haired Girl, Valentine’s Day often didn’t turn out the way I hoped. But, unlike Charlie Brown’s Halloween, no one gave me a rock either.
Being a musician does NOT equate to being visually artistic, so I wasn’t great at creating designs for my Valentine boxes, nor was I good at helping our kids make theirs. Miss Lo is on her own. Oh, I’ll help in whatever ways I’m able, but her ideas differ from mine, and I’m glad to let her run with whatever she dreams up. She comes up with some humdingers sometimes.
As far as gifts go, a few things I haven’t cared about getting for Valentine’s Day since I was a kid are jewelry, flowers, and candy. I could get by the rest of my life with one pair of earrings and a watch, I’m mildly allergic to chocolate, and the sight of drooping or dead flowers irks me something awful. What does that leave a poor husband to do?
Mature men usually don’t want much, if anything, for Valentine’s Day, so their loved ones aren’t left with that worry. Scott figured out early on that a meal at a favorite restaurant, grilling a steak at home, going to a movie, or nearly anything antique (usually something practical I can enjoy for years to come) will tickle my fancy. We’re left with dining out or grilling in these days. That suits me fine, but what I’d really like is plane tickets to France or a nice beach somewhere. Someday …
Apparently, I’m not alone in the yen for travel.The website TopCashback.com indicates that the #1 gift desired by both men and women is travel/experiences (32 percent for each in their poll). The LEAST desired gift for both is lingerie. Wait. Lingerie for men? Maybe that means some sporty new boxers or briefs, but it looks like men don’t want any of it, anyway, so put that thought out of your mind. Jewelry/accessories are pretty low on the list for both as well, with chocolate/candy, flowers, gift cards, and money coming in ahead of those except for a small percentage of women.
TopCashback.com’s survey also sought to determine what men and women intend to spend on their significant others for Valentine’s Day. Not surprisingly, 60 percent of male respondents indicated that they expected to spend around $100, while about half the women said they hoped to spend $50 or less. No one would travel far on those amounts of money unless gas prices plummet, that’s for sure.
Gifts aside, TopCashback.com’s survey revealed that what everyone wants more than anything — regardless of gender — is 1) something thoughtful (could be a gesture, not necessarily a present), 2) simply spending time together, and 3) dinner or a movie. All the above sound great to me, especially a movie we could see on a big screen without having to load up in the car and drive to another town.
Other than the first few years we were married, Scott and I have avoided crazy spending for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases, and Valentine’s Days. We’ve been prone to do more of that for the kids and, now, Miss Lo, although we still try not to go overboard. Lavish gifts and lots of tangible junk aren’t important in the big picture. Spending quality time together counts more. This year if you can’t spend it with the one you love most, pull up some wonderful memories and savor those.
Of course, our stage is set at home for Valentine’s Day. There are red tapers, colorful heart candles, red roses and pink carnations (fake), bunnies and bears in Valentine garb, Valentine towels in the kitchen and bathrooms, and the dining table is covered with red and white heart placemats, dishes, napkins, napkin rings, etc. Once the day is over and all that stuff is packed away, I’ll be left to decide if dragging out the St. Patrick’s Day stuff is worth it this year. Easter this year is April Fools’ Day (weird!), which is really soon after March 17.
If only all decisions were that easy.
Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!