Oh, Valentine's Day! Is it a Christian response to a pagan winter festival? Named after Valentine who defied Claudius and was put to death for it? Or is it merely an embellished and romanticized day that flourished once the printing presses permitted the distribution of mass produced cards? (Did you know that Valentine's Day is the second biggest card giving holiday in the U.S.?) I do not care that some deem it a fake tribute to complicated feelings. We enjoy lots of fake, made-up, commercially motivated, unbelievably schmaltzy things in life! Why not rejoice in pinkness in the middle of what is surely the longest shortest month of the year!
Ed has come around to it. We no longer discuss the ridiculousness of dedicating a day to expressing love for each other. He gets the card, pays for the flowers. I pick the flowers and focus on the food for the day (which this year is funny, since he's still not very hungry).
We walk hand in hand through life and so it stands to reason that we walk hand in hand on this day as well.
Figuratively speaking. In cold weather, he sticks his hand in his pockets, I keep mine cozy in my wool mittens.
A quiet day at the farmette. A Rose Botanica candle, with hints of wild fern and rose petals. A Zoom call with my two buds down south. And a huge relief that tomorrow we begin the second half of the longest shortest month of the year. From there it's downhill all the way til spring.
With so many hearts and x's and o's to all who make my world a beautiful place every single day of the year.
