A day late...

I am a bit behind, Sunday's are always crazy for me, and I forgot to schedule this post.  So, I respectfully submit yesterday's post as today's and hope for no points off.

Valentine's Day.  I have a lot of feelings about this day.  It is a bittersweet day for me and my beloved.

There is the whole commercialism/make-single-people-feel-bad-about-being-single aspect of the holiday made up by a greeting card company.  It seems like this one day is very polarizing.  Some people love it and shower everyone with their effusiveness about it and others, well, not so much.  It is also unavoidable.  As soon as the Christmas decorations come down, the hearts and flowers go up.  That part of the whole event is annoying.

That said, I have very fond memories of making valentines with my mom.  I make them every year with my kids.  Mac asked, after making his valentines this year, if he could buy them next year.  But, the kids always love our home-made offerings, and he came home from school with a new decision, to make them again next year.  I made over 60 valentines with the kids this year.  We also made crayon hearts to attach to the cards.  I made 6 dozen crayon hearts.  Which means we peel an uncountable number of crayons, which sadly didn't even dent our crayon supply.

Bob has learned not to ignore Valentines Day, and he does a good job making the day special.  He does know that I think Sweetest Day is stupid and we solidly ignore that!

But, Valentine's Day is also Bob's Grandma's birthday.  While the birthdays seem easier than the yahrzeits, this is the still bittersweet part of the day.  Grandma was a snarky old lady, who deplored senior citizens.  We used to go to Blossom every summer (Blossom was the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra) and make fun of the outfits people would wear.  It was great fun.  Grandma walked up the hill every time.  She struggled, but we never rode in the cart.  I think that is a testimonial to her determination.

We still display a picture of Grandma at my sil's wedding.  Grandma is posing with the bride and they both have roses in their mouths.  I remember forcing the photographer to take the picture, and I am very glad that I did.  It caught Grandma's essence.  It is a great picture.  She died 8 months later.

Growing up, my Grandmothers were not approachable or engaging, they were mean and scary.  So, until I met Grandma, I never realized that there were grandma's that were nice and loved by the kids  She was my Grandma too.  I wish she could have met our kids.

Valentines Day is about acknowledging at least some of the people we love, but it is also about remembering Grandma.  Sharing those stories with our kids, so they at least have some idea who she was.