mythteller | St. V-day: No Homecoming

Ms. Carotte isn't coming home today as we'd hoped (read her journal to get the whole story). It seems that her ankle is still too swollen to put the cast on yet.

So it'll have to be sushi and bedpans this year. I'm just glad to have made it through last week, although I'm still hacking and coughing from the stress-induced sickness. I also have developped a bad case of laryngitis. I'm rasping and squeaking instead of booming. It's like a window into my retirement years.

I have very mixed feelings about St. V day. When I'm single, I try to get gifts for my female friends. When I'm involved, I tend to focus on my sweetie, but I hate feeling pressured into doing so. Where's the fun in giving a gift when they expect one? The surprise is the fun part

So to make it more fun, I sometimes go over the top (and believe me, that can go south quickly too). And then sometimes I reject the whole manipulation part of it and refuse to do anything special on the day itself (although I redeem myself later by surprising my sweetie on a different day).

Some people can drive themselves crazy with all the things that don't happen on this day. They build up such expectations that all they can see is everything that doesn't happen:

"You gave me a card? I was expecting flowers!"
"You gave me flowers? What about my dinner out?"
"A dinner and a movie? That's it?"
"Is this your idea of romance? Untie me this instant!"

Spend today counting your blessings and tell your loved ones how much you appreciate them. True joy is in the giving rather than the receiving.