The Ideal Valentine
This story is taken from http://mostlyamelia.blogspot.com
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching…I can’t look at the red boxed candy, the roses, cards or even think Valentine, without thinking of my Ideal Valentine; my Dad.
I’m from a family of 8, my poor father raised 5 girls and every Valentine’s Day from the time we were very little we received gifts from my Dad.
Often it was something simple like a little box of chocolates, just to let us know how special we were. When we got older we would have Valentine’s Day brunches at my parents and Dad would give us gifts.
In 1987 we all got silver necklaces that were engraved “Thanks Dad” on the back.
When we started working, Dad started to deliver our Valentine’s to us at the office. I was never dating anyone, or married on Valentine’s Day, but I could always count on a special gift from my Dad.
It was 2005 or 2006 when Dad had just gotten out of the hospital February 13, but he was determined to deliver his girls’ Valentines.
I worked on the 2nd floor of a building that wasn’t handicap accessible, but Dad called and I went down and he was able to give me my gift…in person.
When my Dad passed away, my sisters all still had their engraved necklaces Dad had given us back in 1987. They called and told me to wear it to the wake and funeral.
The problem was, I save nothing…I hadn’t seen that necklace in years and had moved several times. There was no way I still had that necklace, they told me just to look anyway.
I went upstairs to my jewelry box, and there it was, right on top…almost like someone had put it there. We were all able to wear our necklaces and we all kept them on long after the funeral…it was like keeping a little piece of Dad right there with us.
The next year I was DREADING Valentine’s Day. I didn’t even want to get out of bed. That’s the problem one someone has given you so many special memories all tied to one day.
I got up, got dressed and went to work…and no Dad didn’t come to deliver my gift, buy my co-workers knowing what a hard day it would be for me got me a small bouquet of flowers…and then my Mom came to work, with a gift…a gift that my Dad had picked out months before he died.
I don’t remember what the gift was, I do remember that my mom really wanted one and there wasn’t one for her; she never got the same thing as “the girls.”
I do know that whatever it was I wrapped it up and gave it to her anonymously at our Valentine Brunch; I’m pretty sure she knew it was me though.
Remember, I save nothing; it’s the memories that are important to me. And my Mom had given me an enormous gift…I knew that as hard as that day was for me, it was 1000 times harder for her and she came to my office to do what Dad couldn’t that day.
To me, that is true love – and an Ideal Valentine.
