Happy Valentine’s Day

Ahhh, Valentine’s Day.

Over the years, we’ve learnt to navigate our way around this very delicate day that is Valentine’s.

The first year we were dating, the husband (being the sweet romantic that he is) went the whole nine yards. Flowers, chocolates, a movie and the usual overpriced set meal dinner reservations. I appreciated the thought, even though I didn’t really know what to do with the flowers except to put them at the corner of my hostel room. Incidentally, a week later, they produced the most unbelievable stench I could imagine and I chucked them out discreetly. I wasn’t really a fan of chocolates (give me chips anytime) and we somehow managed to miss our dinner because our movie ran late.

So the first time we spent February 14th together, we had Burger King for dinner.

He looked absolutely mortified that we missed our reservations and the best part of that day for me was laughing over our missed dinner plans and making him admit that this whole Valentine’s Day shebang was a complete rip off. I also told him never to buy me flowers again. Instead, an ipod or a tech gadget was a more acceptable gift option.

For many years after that, we had Burger King for dinner every Valentine’s Day, until we mutually agreed to ditch the sentimentalism and have Carl’s Junior instead because they have better mushroom burgers.

We’re romantic like that.

To be fair, he does make up for it a week or two later with a nice dinner or a short getaway just so we have time to stare into each others’ eyes and whisper sweet nothings.

Now after having spent 10 Valentine’s Days together, with 2 kids and a third on the way, I dare say that I’m starting to appreciate the day a little more than I used to.

When we were younger, we had all the time in the world to be sweet and romantic throughout the year. Who needs Valentine’s Day when it can be Valentine’s Day every day of the year? Every week, we were out for movies and dinners. We spent hours watching Days of Our Lives and making jokes about the bad acting because it was an excuse for us to spend time together. Every day, we felt like we were in love.

But now that we barely even have time for a quiet dinner without getting thronged by kids, it’s nice to have a day to stop and have some time all to ourselves.

Sure, it’s commercialized and gimmicky and terribly overpriced, but there’s magic fairy dust in the air today. And we remember that in the midst of all this craziness, we’re just two kids who are in love.

We’re probably having Carl’s Junior for dinner tonight, and whatever you’re having, I hope you have a good one.