Valentine’s Day. A day I really had no feelings towards until 2013. Growing up I would get excited for the candy I would get, the little presents and cards from my parents and the chocolate…so. much. chocolate. Once I got into high school I had a few boyfriends, none of them lasted long, by my choice. I would say they were typical Sophomore year, high school relationships and I think only one of them lasted during Valentine’s Day, but I honestly can’t remember what we did.
I started dating Huck my senior year of high school, about half way through the year. I kept saying we had to wait to start dating because I was known for rushing into relationships and then ending them a couple months later. We went through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. My family and I went on a trip to the Bahamas for New Years and I could not stop thinking about Huck and if he was still going to want to date me when we got back to the states. If I remember correctly, we got back on Saturday night, pretty late and I don’t think we went back to school until Tuesday. Huck texted me towards the end of the day asking me if I could meet him at a gas station on his side of town after school. I realize this sounds super sketchy but it’s a really nice gas station and close to our high school. Me, being completely oblivious said that I couldn’t because I had to take 2 girls home from school that day. He was persistent and changed the meeting place to a Starbucks on my side of town. I agreed. We both got out of our cars and I think things were super awkward for a minute because I had no idea why I was meeting him, that was until he took out a huge bag of York Peppermint Patties. He handed them to me and then quietly asked me if I would be his girlfriend, I think I screamed “yes!” We talked for over an hour in the Starbucks parking lot and then I went and tutored someone (if you know me, that’s not something I usually do). I called my mom and said, “mom, guess what!” She didn’t even have to think, she knew her daughter had just become someone’s girlfriend and she was happy.
My parents, well really my dad, asked if I liked Huck or if we were dating pretty much the whole time we hung out before we officially became boyfriend and girlfriend. When I told him, I’m pretty sure he said something along the lines of “finally” or “I knew it". A little over a month after, was Valentine’s Day. We went to Plaza Azteca for dinner and then went to see Silver Lining Playbook at the theatre. As we went to leave, we got in his jeep and then realized the battery was dead. We waited in the cold for a while until someone came around and jumped his car. Our second Valentine’s I drove home in the middle of a blizzard, surprised him that I was home and then made him homemade Shrimp and Grits and a Key lime pie. He made me his famous sausage dip and it was the best, snowy Valentine’s. Our third Valentine’s Day we went to Cheesecake Factory (I know, dumb move, they don’t take reservations), we got in after 3 hours. The 4th Valentine’s, last year, we tried to be really simple and planned to order a pizza at home in Richmond and watch a movie, well, snow happened and we had to go back to school. We still ordered the pizza, but the movie never happened because my Wi-Fi was too slow and it wouldn’t download. Have you noticed a pattern yet? No? I’ll tell you, we always had something get in the way but it was still perfect to me.
This year, Huck came to my apartment like he usually does on a Tuesday but he brought a bottle of Smoking Loon, Peppermint Patties and we watched out current favorite show. It was nothing huge, but it was still perfect. My friend, Lisa said something this past weekend when we were all hanging out that really stuck with me, “I don’t really think Valentine’s Day needs to be celebrated too much because I love Justin every day, and every day he treats me special. This day is no different.” I couldn’t agree more. Now, we are going to Shyndigz (all dessert restaurant at home) when we go to Richmond this weekend but we haven’t been in so long. It’s a date night that will be followed by hanging out with his family and family friends.
So my friends, both men and women, treat your boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, friends, and family like every day is Valentine’s Day. Don’t make your significant other long for this day just because she/he wants something special. I love spreading the love and seeing it everywhere, so we should all do it more often. The best relationships I see, are those where they are treated with the love and respect that Valentine’s Day brings, every day. I’m proud to say that Huck has done that for the last 4 years and many more to come. My parents and his parents do the same, along with our grandparents as well. I saw my dad’s parent’s love for each other for 16 years of my life, I saw and heard about the love my mom’s parents had for each other. I see the love that Huck’s grandparent’s had through the examples of his aunts and dad and their relationships. I get to continue to watch the love his Mommle and Bopple have for each other now. Let’s all love hard.
“After almost 27 years, I still feel like a newlywed”- my momma
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