Angry Valentine

So another Valentine's Day has passed and it's not that I don't appreciate the special day or enjoy the sweetness of it, but it's not a day I really look forward to or worry too much about. Hubby always has done a good job of making me feel like his Valentine each year, probably much better than me if you were to compare but it'd be okay with me if we just kept it pretty simple. I don't mean to be a party pooper but I just feel like Valentine's Day is really more for single people or for kids, and each year I'm way more concerned that my girls' Valentine's Day is special than worried about mine.

Anyway, as I sat in my office working away on Valentine's Day morning, busily trying to get everything done before my 12 p.m. meeting, a bouquet of roses or a box of chocolates was the last thing on my mind. I had already received a very sweet Valentine's Day text full of hearts from Hubby which made me smile and I planned to take him out for lunch, so all was good!

In the middle of my busyness, a delivery man showed up with a smirk on his face and what I would describe as a smug aura about him. 99 percent of the people that stop by are friendly and approachable but this one smelled different. I knew what he needed by his uniform but since he was acting irritated with me already, I asked him how I could help, and he, of course, responded just as snarky as I expected. As I led him down the long hallway, keeping a 5-foot distance between us, I had no intentions of furthering our stimulating conversation. Unfortunately for me, however, he thought otherwise and asked me how my Valentine's Day was going. Since I didn't really want to talk anyway, all I said was, "Well, it's going alright. A lot like every other day I guess."

I must have struck a nerve because my response sent my "happy" stranger friend into a little unforeseen rant. "What is it with you women, anyway?!" "You always have to get so depressed on Valentine's Day and I just don't get it?!" "You always make such a big deal about it!"

WOW! Well, first of all, little did this guy know that my response came from the fact that I'm a happily married woman with a devoted husband that does nice things for me all the time, not just once a year on Valentine's Day, and who I'd just got to spend last weekend alone with. And, second of all, he and I had just agreed that since we were blessed to spend the weekend together, we didn't need to worry about all the traditional flowers and candy and cards this year. THAT'S why the day was like any other and NOT because I'm depressed or feeling sorry for myself. Plus, I'd just spent hours the night before helping my three girls prepare for their Valentine's Day so that it was special for them so I wasn't too worried about mine.

But, instead of spouting all that out, I just kept walking and let the angry and chauvinist delivery man continue to shake his head and giggle at the absurdity of "us women" and our ridiculous Valentine's Day dreams. If I wasn't busy at the time, I might have played along and encouraged him just to see how bad it got, but I wasn't in the mood and the clock was ticking until my lunch date with Hubby. I just shook my head on the walk back to my office and thought of how happy I was to have a forever Valentine that respected me and all women, and how glad I was to feel confident enough to have this day pass every year with no expectations from either of us. AND how happy I was that I wasn't the angry delivery man NOR his wife or girlfriend! Geesh!!