For the at least the last two decades - if you live in the same house as my mother, on Valentines day - the breakfast table looks a lot like this. The culmination of her longstanding yearly tradition - The 14 days of Valentines. Every February 1-14th is marked with a daily treat of some kind - a little valentine. Stickers that say "Valentine, Stick with me" or Gum that says "I "chews" u to be my Valentine"...each day the Valentines basket is filled up with a treat. If you don't live with my mom, but are one of her offspring or friends of her offspring or family of her offspring or random relatives that she thinks might need it - she will deliver to you - on or before February 1st - a package filled with sealed brown paper lunch bags - each with a date on them, and conveniently a day of the week. And each day you could rip open your own treat. She also sends a table cloth and decorative plates and cups for you to decorate your own table to have your own special Valentines breakfast. On Valentines day - she delievers an actual Valentine gift wrapped in red or heart paper - and makes a special breakfast. Its really quite amazing that she does this...and has been doing it for so long - she now prepares this tradition for at least 40 people. All through college and the many years I have lived in a different state than her - I always got my package of goodies and presents and she always sent treats for my room-mates however many there were. But, this year is the first year in a very long time - that I get to wake up to the special mom made and decorated breakfast in person. My mom is very cool.
Individual place settings even...The greatest thing about this tradition is that it has made this holiday for me and most of my family less about romantic love and more about family love, appreciation and togetherness. I have never had a disappointing Valentines day (even when I had a boyfriend) - because I still get the red hearts and the treats and I still feel a lot of extra love and appreciation on the holiday. The only thing that plagues me still - is finding a way to appreciate my mother and this tradition for the great gift it is in my life. This year - we tried to compensate with a large basket of Disney cookies (on the table)...but, its just never really enough. Really, my mom is very cool.
A few days ago, I overheard a conversation between Bear and my mom. He just randomly announced, "I just love Aunt Jen so much" (ahhhhh) And my mom, said "why is that?" He said "because she has so many things we don't have" To which my mom replied, "like what?" And he said: "Like stairs, she has so many stairs. We don't have stairs at home in our house."
So, here are some of my glorious stairs - if nothing else, on this Valentines Day, you, too can love me for my stairs.
Happy Valentines Day!
5 comments:
I miss them so much. More so today than usual, which means it's niagra falls over here. Please give them hugs and kisses from me!
Happy Valentines day to you too...did you get my card? I sent you a card....I thought it rather funny. Anyway....hope you all had a sugar-filled-rollicking good day.
I tried to comment and it wouldn't show up. I'll try again.
I totally remember back in the old Draper days when you told me about how your mom did this every year. I thought it was such a great tradition, and one that I should adopt (especially now having kids). Unfortunately, I'm never that prepared. Wow. I'm so impressed that she's kept it going for SO many years, and for SO many people!!! What a great lady!
I love the end of your blog. How funny!
What a great tradition for you mom to do. I bet everyone feels so loved.
You'll have to carry it on!
Okay, that was a great blog! I totally have been one of the recipient's of your mom's valentine's day treats.... if i remember correctly, she even had stuff in there with my name on it... just for me! Tell her thank you.... AND when I got married, she got me a table cloth, cloth napkins, and placemats.... all of which I STILL have and USE... I can't say that about too many things... hardly anything. Tell her thank you for me!
OH, and I love you for your stairs too... that was totally funny.
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