2/14/2009

My fifteen year old son commented this year that he felt Valentine's Day was just a conspiracy to make single people feel bad. I remember feeling that way in the past, but I've managed to cultivate a whole new Valentine feeling. I now think Valentine's Day can be one of those general holidays like Halloween, a holiday for everyone, without emotional weight. At least mine was this year. I knew I'd be doing a little Winter Market on Valentine's Day itself, so I spent a few weeks messing around with ideas for inexpensive Valentine's presents. I ended up making silk sachets of hand-dyed fabric, and little birds stuffed with lavender with attached silk ribbons. I took them to the Market, where they did not exactly set the world on fire, but where people did seem to like them (they'll make another appearance at the Vermont Flower Show in two weeks.) All the vendors at the Market were in the Valentine's mood - lots of heart-shaped candies and cookies, and the lady across from my booth had t-shirts tied up with red ribbons. 

After the Market I went to my humble job at the Sports Center up here at the ski resort, where the festive mood continued - heart decorations everywhere, and bowls of those sugary candies that say things like "Be Mine" and "Marry Me." The Sports Center Staff had put out colored paper and scissors for kids to make their own Valentines And I found a heart-shaped cookie frosted in pink and outlined in chocolate chips left at the desk for me. My boss Liz (recipient of one of my birds) had left if there for me.

"Don't you think it's Valentiney?" she asked. 

Yes, it was very Valentiney. 

The moral: Share Valentine's Day with whomever you happen to be with on February 14, and you'll be much happier than if you think it has to be all about romance. And incidentally, my son seemed reasonably happy with the box of Andres mint chocolates his boring old mom gave him.