Though I'm not anti-Valentine's Day, I admit that for most of my adult life it's not been high on my list to celebrate. In my 20s, there was a sort of running joke among friends that any relationship I happened to be in never quite seemed to make it to Valentine's Day before it ended. I personally took it as a sign from above that maybe the "right" man would be the one who managed to make it through Valentine's Day without growing tired/bored of me (or vice versa).
As it turns out, there were a few Valentine's Days in my 30s that saw men who I thought/hoped would be "Mr. Right" sail through hearts day, complete with the cards, the candy, the flowers, the dinner dates, the whole nine yards. But a couple of them didn't seem to like it too much when I'd casually suggested that they shouldn't have gone through the trouble of everything they did (which I assumed was quite expensive).
It wasn't that I didn't appreciate it - almost every girl loves to get beautiful flowers and to be treated like a princess, after all. It was partly because that type of response was almost reflexive for me, considering I lived alone at the time and had gotten used to trying to save money where I could to make ends meet. It was also partly because, in one instance, I felt like it was just too much because of where we were in the relationship (it was early on).
In hindsight, I realize I should have just kept quiet and appreciated the gestures for what they were. Those are the lessons one learns from maturing emotionally over time.
SEE ALSO (VIP): Photographs and Memories: My Funny Valentine
Needless to say, being a full-time caregiver doesn't really leave any time to devote to that sort of thing (at least that's the way it is for me; I certainly can't and don't speak for all caregivers). But over the last several years, there have been the occasional Valentine's Day cards mailed to and received from family members, or candy exchanged with them and female friends when "Girls Day Out" gatherings have been able to be arranged.
Mom and I, too, usually try to do a little something for each other on Valentine's Day (including a little decorating ahead of it), but dang if Mom didn't outdo me this year.
I woke up a hot mess Saturday morning late and had not even brushed my hair when I trudged into the living room, where she was already bright-eyed, dressed, and ready for the day (she's a morning person - I am not). I had barely plopped down in the recliner good before I noticed a red envelope and a heart-shaped box of chocolates on the table next to me.
I was surprised, to say the least. Mom doesn't go out to shop anymore. Her shopping is usually confined to Amazon or whatever she needs me to get for her at the store. Using the Amazon app has been a bit confusing for her in the past, to the point that I've had to help her with it. But she had ordered these two things herself - as she had my birthday card and gift about a month prior. I'd brought the packages to her when they came in earlier this week, but got distracted by something else and never did ask what she'd gotten - though I suspected Valentine's Day might have something to do with it.
My game plan had been to go out one morning during the week to pick up a card and gift for her, but the week turned out to be unexpectedly busy in other ways, so I put it on my calendar to go pick up her card and gift at CVS on Saturday morning. The bonus on this, or so I thought, would be that most everything would likely be half off, something the frugal-minded part of me liked.
About an hour after my misty-eyed self had opened her sweet card and the candies she gave me (two of which I ate with breakfast - for dessert, of course), I made myself somewhat presentable and scooted out to CVS. I picked up a greeting card, two boxes of chocolate (an extra for both of us for another day - since it presumably was half off, why not?), a small stuffed squeezable plush pink heart that had a smiley face on it, a pre-made gift bag, two packages of heart-themed pens (for my sisters, I'm seeing them next month, and we're all penaholics) and a couple of toiletry-type items for the house.
I went to the self-checkout, scanned my CVS card, and rang everything up. The total was $75. I was like, "What the heck?" As it turned out, most of the Valentine's Day items I bought were NOT 50 percent off - of course. But the attendant told me he thought they would be on Sunday.
Pressed for time, I refrained from going into full Karen Mode, was polite to the cashier but said "Whatever" under my breath, grabbed my bags, and headed back to the house, grumbling that it always seems that for me, at least, the sales never apply to the particular items I have in my cart.
In any event, Mom loved the card, candy, the plush heart that I gave her (and the cute gift bag), so it was money well spent to see the smile on her face. But I'm headed to CVS again Sunday afternoon to pick up a prescription, and I bet you anything every single Valentine's Day item, including the exact type of items I bought on Saturday for full price, will indeed be 50 percent off...
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