valentines day eve

my boys are the joy of my life....i love their individual personalities, all of the craziness they bring to my life, and i am truly blessed every single day that i have them.....if i need a holiday to remind me of that, i'm in trouble.....but i definitely don't mind a holiday where i have the opportunity to express it :)

on the flip side, i think that the EVE of all of the holidays are definitely the challenge.....its funny that valentines day (of all holidays) is marketed as the holiday of love...you have this impression of women getting all these wonderful gifts and expressions of love.....blah blah blah....not that i am anti-valentines day by any stretch....but it cracks me up that at 8 oclock tonight, there were about a million WOMEN in target doing last minute shopping for their KIDS....this holiday, like all others, has been overrun by consumerism......and mom guilt!! 

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt...Charles M. Schulz

so after a really long day at work, and a grocery store run, i started on my annual chocolate covered strawberry "gift"....and as i'm standing in the kitchen, recruiting kids to help me smash things up, it occurs to me that this is one more of those "traditions" that i'm going to miss one day - like making gingerbread houses at christmas....one day, i'm not going to have a reason to make a million strawberries - so i need to LOVE it right now.....so THIS year, i asked the boys if they wanted to help - and WE made chocolate covered strawberries together.....which i realized is what makes everything i do worth it!!  my boys may not say it everyday, but i KNOW they appreciate  the time we have together ...... and when jake looks at me and says "this is my favorite day of the year" (because these are his absolute favorite) i remember that i don't HAVE to do any of this stuff.....but i do GET TO :)

it would be easy to NOT do the extra little things - especially right now....we all have a lot on our plate and i'm sure the kids would understand.....but the fact that we DO take the time amidst all the craziness to do something sweet, something that brings some sunshine, is special....its a memory maker....one day my kids are going to walk by a store selling those chocolate covered strawberries and remember when we made them together - and THAT is what makes it all worthwhile.....its a memory that will bring a smile - and really isn't that the whole reason we do most things?  to make someone happy?

the irony of needing a holiday to take a minute to tell the people we love that we love them is a little crazy....but rather than become a valentine hater, i'm going to be a valentine embracer :).....why not?  it doesn't have to be about romantic love - or just romantic love - its just about love.....and whats bad about a day where we celebrate love?  especially if it involves CHOCOLATE???

i'm a lucky lucky lucky girl.....i have the best family in the world and i am surrounded by love....so all i can say is "happy valentines day to me :)"