Welcome to February!
Groundhogs:
Six more weeks of winter... so sayeth the groundhog Phil! As long as its over by April 1st, I'm good! On April 1st my daughter, Anna (blog decor darling) and my niece, Shannon (oldest of the blondies) will fly in to Philly for a visit! wOOt! I cannot wait! They will be my first visitors on the east coast! They will fly in on Thursday and leave Monday afternoon. So there's a lot to cram in to a few days... and I'll be happy just to be with them. Its Shannon's first plane trip ever and Anna's first with connections (she freaked for a minute...lol).
Hearts
Ah... Valentine's Day. The single woman's least favorite holiday. There is no greater reminder that you are alone than on this day. While Anna was growing up I could fake it and make my darling daughter my Valentine... well, until the brat went and got one of her own. LOL I think I actually give it more energy BEFORE the day than ON the day... so I work at not getting down in the dumps. And folks, no matter what any (always married) friend says, it DOES fling into the face the fact that I am alone. I know the intentions are good and sincere... just not helpful. That said, I do not begrudge anyone else their sweetheart... that would just be mean. Celebrate your love, be grateful for each other, and enjoy the day that's meant for love!
Chocolate
Ok... I know I'm in the minority because I can do without chocolate. Which is a good thing since February is the month of hearts AND CHOCOLATE. Lucky for me my drug of choice if not chocolate. What is? not the point. lol Don't get me wrong... there's some good stuff out there... and I have been know to dabble... Reeses Peanut Butter Anything (hearts, trees, eggs... the holiday treats), chocolate covered nuts, caramels... all very yummy. And easier for me to say no to than, say, Diet Coke. If I belonged to a religion that gave things up for Lent it would have to be Diet Coke... *whew*
Snow
I recently had a conversation with a friend at work that is a skier... I used to ski... I LOVED it and I was pretty good. Pretty good being defined as being able to go all day without wiping out. My first experience was night skiing at Lookout Pass on the border of Idaho and Montana (I think technically its Idaho). My father and my brother taught me...I remember starting with the tow rope... and then graduating to the pomma (sp). I think my dad wanted to make sure I was serious because it was the NEXT year that he put me in lessons. Two years of lessons on the hill and I LOVED LOVED LOVED it. I was frozen to the bone at the day and I didn't care (altho I probably complained).
My favorite ski memory was the day my dad pulled me out of school. I was in 6th grade. I was in class and got a note from the office saying my father was coming to get me because I was needed at home. I can't remember if they said she was hurt or if I just started to make things up in my head (ah... that might be where it started). So by the time he got there to pick me up I was terrified my mother was lying bleeding and broken at the bottom of the stairs. We were in the car driving home and I probably started to cry and he lightly punched me in the arm and said "your mom is fine, we're going skiing" LOL That was the first time I ever skied at Silverhorn. It was also the year that I got my first pair of skis with brakes rather than straps. We were riding up the chair lift (not the first run or I'd have freaked!) and I was swinging my skis back and forth... and clicked them together and WHOMP... one of my skis falls off and goes falling to the ground. So here I am, on the chairlift, panicing because how the heck do I GET OFF the chair with one ski???? The operators stopped the chair so I could get off and a kindly soul brought me the ski. Believe you me, I NEVER clicked my skis together again. Lesson learned.
Don't you wish all lessons were that simple to learn? lol
So here's the deal...
13 years ago
5 comments:
- no matter what any (always married) friend says, it DOES fling into the face the fact that I am alone -
Woman!
No. It doesn't. It is all (ALL!) your perception. The face-flinging. Your perception. The (so called) "fact"-ness of it. Your perception. The alone-ness. Your perception again.
You are right about one thing, though. If that's what you are determined to believe, then it doesn't matter what any well-meaning friend (always-married or otherwise) says. Because this puppy is internal.
You could just as easily (ok, so it might take a little work, but still!) decide that what Valentine's Day is meant to be a celebration of Love in all its glory. That is something you have an abundance of (coming and going). You could use it as an excuse to celebrate the most beautiful, intelligent, funny, loving person in your life. Rieda!
You know, even us (not-always) married folks deal with other people's perceptions of the holidays. In fact, did you know that my husband did NOT get me a diamond necklace for VDay last year AND that he is almost guaranteed not to get it for me again this year!!? Ok, so I know that is silliness, but it does make my point. There are folks out there who buy into the idea that "if he really loves me" he'll get me diamonds and the like. Those people are choosing that thought and it makes them feel terrible.
How does the thought, "I am alone and VDay just throws that in my face every year" feel?
What are some other "facts" you could say to yourself that would feel (even a little bit) better?
Ok, I'll go now. Since I just rattled on for several paragraphs, I'll let the whole "chocolate" thing go by. Mostly, anyway. (But, SERIOUSLY???)
Wow... harsh, even for you.
Valentine's Day is completely about romantic love. And the absence of it, no matter how much other love is present, is still the absence of it.
And it has nothing to do with material proof. The idea that you think that bothers me.
I don't feel anywhere near as pathetic as this makes it seem. I've had lots of years... some more successfully than others... to not let it bother me. And this year is actually fine... no gnashing of teeth or bemoaning... really!
I was simply saying that I live in the world and the world says Valentine's Day is the epitome of romantic love. And sometimes it sucks. That's it.
I don't think VD is about material proof. I was making the comparison that "the world" says that it's about material proof. (Flower and diamonds and cards and chocolate, etc...) It's my choice to take that or leave it. I choose to leave it.
February 14th can mean anything you want it to mean. My entire point was that you don't have to look to "the world" to assign that meaning.
What's more, I believe that focusing upon the absence of something will bring you more of that absence. Since I know that you want the presence of romantic love, I was suggesting that you focus upon the presence of love in your life - so that you'll get more.
I read over my comment, and I fail to see where I was "harsh, even for you". I've always taken the direct route. Especially with you, because you've told me you appreciate it. Not a word that I said came with a mean spirit.
And I never thought you were the least bit pathetic.
And, by the way, although I stand by my statements, and I know from where in my heart they came, I am sorry you feel the way you do about them. I would never want to be hurtful to you, directly or otherwise.
Since someone else made a comment about me hating Valentine's Day I probably DID come off hating it and being kinda whiny... soooooo...sorry, I over-reacted. See further groveling on new post. :)
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