February 10, 2012

Valentine's Day in Polaroid


What's not to love about Valentine's Day? Flowers. Candy. Kisses!

Though as I flip through memories of Valentine's past, it doesn't take long to get all the way back to high school and student council Carnation Day. An annual barometer of social successes (like we needed the reminder).

50 cents each. Ordered in advanced. Handed out in homeroom. Red, the i-love-you carnations (unlikely in 10th grade, but there they were). Pink, the i-like-you carnations. And the sad looking white, i-want-to-be-friends carnations. 

You see where I'm headed with this. Some girls paraded the hallways the rest of the day with arm loads of reds and pinks. The rest of us settled for a couple of ragged whites given by our best girl friends so we would not be utterly pathetic. Some years there was even the occasional pink from a timid boy who never made anything of it anyway.

I still find the smell of carnations a bit revolting.

Grown up is so much better. My little kindergartener is headed off with a backpack full of silly Valentine's for his mates at school. And I'll just pretend that high school is nowhere on the horizon.

Happy Valentine's Day to you. Hope "your man" gives "you" a big box of handmade chocolates. (hint... hint...)

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