One of my favorites childhood memories is of Valentine's Day. Coming downstairs into the kitchen to find a bag of treats at your seat. My mother reused the same bas every year (I wish I could be that organized), and there were always Russell Stover chocolate hearts that came in a tray. Another staple: red hots. This evening, as I was in the store buying candy for my kids, the cinnamony smell of red hots wafted over to me, and woooosh! I was back in the kitchen at parents house.
Tonight, I was on the phone with my mom as I prepared for our festivities. I was taping pencils to the kids' valentine cards for school, and my mother asked me - are you doing anything at home? I said - yup, and she replied - I love that you do that!
What? Of course I do it, and I do it because my mom raised me to. It was my mom's influence that helped form the meaning of Valentine's day for me. Valentine's Day has never been a romantic holiday for me. It has been a time to tell the people in your life that you love them. It's a family celebration of the love you feel for one another. It's a cozy holiday, filled with sweets and snuggle time, and then church in the evening, for the Entrance of The Lord Into the Temple. I have all of that to thank my mom for. Thanks, I love you, and you are a great mom!
Some shots from tonight's preparations:
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ReplyDeleteI love this post and that you have carried on this tradition! You even baked cookies!! That way surpassed me :) Beautiful!
ReplyDeletehaha, and I always feel inadequate because I never have the russell stovers chocolate hearts! and ps - the kids didn't even like those cookies!!!!!!!
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