Aren’t you glad at least one day of the year, besides one’s anniversary, is devoted to the concept of LOVE? I am. Although, Ev and I have for years refused to give in to the Hallmark moments. We have, upon occasion, stood before their racks of pinks and reds and laces and ribbons and said to each other, “If I were going to buy a card for you, I’d buy this one.” Then we gracefully put it back and leave.
Today has been a typical Valentine’s Day, even with the twist of the unexpected. No, it did not include a diamond, or tickets to a cruise (that’ll be the day), or anything material at all. The surprise was the 8 a.m. phone call from our son saying he needs to borrow my car. He didn’t ask me, you understand, although I stumbled out of bed to answer the phone. No. He and his dad negotiated the delivery time, etc.
Our favorite omelet breakfast over, we made the delivery. So, the direction of our day changed with the necessity of most of the morning spent driving both cars half and hour away, a short visit with daughter-in-love and grandbaby to drop off the keys, and THEN, a day spent enjoying each other’s company.
Ev never says much. He just drove by the best candy store in the country which is near where our son’s family lives. We never would have gone there today except that the SURPRISE had happened.
That led to a forty minute drive to the ocean to see the waves, another favorite thing to do when the spirit moves us. It just happened to be on Valentine’s Day in the rain.
Then I mentioned an hour-long harp concert at the library today: Songs of Love. Guess what? He agreed to go.
We ran (well, not really at 72 + years) between the raindrops to be an audience of four to hear a lady play her lever harp. We were soon joined by a beleaguered mom or caregiver of three preschoolers who took over the area with exuberance, as she tried her best to shhhhh them.
Now I’m being “rushed” even as I blog for the day, to get ready to go out to dinner before the crowds arrive. So, our day continues.
I am reminded of “Our Town” when the heroine just wants to go back from the grave on an every-day day. Days like today are like that. Nothing really special, when I think about it. Just doing what we like to do because we know, deep down, that pleasing each other in the little things mean a lot more than diamonds, trips, and stuff.
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