Friday, February 13, 2015

A Different Happy Hearts Day...

Valentines Day is a tough holiday at my house because my birthday and our anniversary fall in the same week meaning the three occasions take place within five days.  With President’s day falling nearby (which means a long weekend for us), needless to say it’s a jam-packed few days.  Before our son was born, we made it a point to travel to Napa Valley every year and spent many a fabulous long weekend between San Francisco and the Napa and Sonoma valleys as a result.  Even now just thinking about those years makes me sigh and chant those were the days.  And they were, in their own way.

Now my son is in his second year of middle school and while I’ve never said this about a given year before, I can’t wait for this Valentines day to be over.  My son’s world has changed dramatically in the past few months as girls we’ve known since preschool have started texting and his first real girlfriend has come and gone, leaving his heart in pieces when she left. At times over the last few days, the uncertainty in his world has felt overwhelming to everyone in our house.  I don’t remember the first time I got my heart broken but I know enough to remember it wasn’t fun.

As a mom I think I’ve turned from thoughts of my own experience on the happiest of hearts day to that of my son.  I find myself wondering what I can do for him on February 14th to help cover that new hole in his heart.  In years past we’ve celebrated as a family with cupcakes, candy and cards but this year I want to up the anti just a bit.  My son’s ex bought him Polo Black cologne for Christmas and I’ve noticed since they parted ways, he hasn’t worn it much.  That being said, in the wee hours before Valentines day dawns, I plan to use my mom superpowers to make said cologne disappear, leaving in its place on the shelf in his medicine cabinet a fresh, new bottle of Polo Red, complete with a note from me for his eyes only.

And while we’ll still have cupcakes and candy and share a card or two as a family, it’s that note, that little bit of encouragement shared from my heart to the heart of the child I adore, the one God has entrusted me to raise, that just might make this Valentines day the one I consider my favorite years from now.

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