Valentine's Day!

So it's my second-most favorite day of the year and there I was in our back entryway slinging on my long back wool coat over my nightgown and robe at 5:30 a.m. 

And while Tom ate his oatmeal in the Cozy Room, watching snowy scenes on local news, I slipped on my gloves and a knitted hat and burst out into the 10 degree F. darkness and shoveled two long lines through 8 inches of heavy snow so Tom could get out of the driveway and drive down snowy roads to work.

And you'd think I'd dread shoveling snow, the kind which comes down wet and settles like concrete, but I don't. Well, not a ton. During winter I cannot take my daily walks so shoveling is amazing exercise and I would resemble a balloon each winter without it). 

Besides, I'd rather be the shoveler because Tom has that bum leg and slips in snow, but more, he's the bread-winner, the bringer-home of money, and I am his partner. I keep things on the homefront calm and clean. That is my job, one of my parts in this partnership.

Soon I removed my winter paraphernalia, collapsed in my chair next to Tom's in the Cozy Room and saw all the school cancellations on the news. If there's a single school open today in our half of New York, I'm  unaware of it. They are all closed.

And at first I imagined hearing celebratory cheers of children, but then I thought, oh no! It's Valentine's Day. What about all the classroom parties? And I could only hope that they were held yesterday instead--they certainly had warnings--there's been so much hype about this snowstorm for days. 

But still it's Valentine's Day and I have that heart glow, even though Tom, an hour ago, drove to work and will be gone for 12 hours. 

Still the warmth and delight are here while I think about all the Valentines I mailed to friends, more than I'd ever mailed before and I'll think about those smiles my cards will bring. I'll recall, too, how Naomi called at 7:00 this morning to ask if I wanted help shoveling snow. Also? All of you who are never far from me.

I'll shovel snow all day and drink my pretend coffee and be happy and feel loved because God is here and He's given me this 28-year-long partnership with my husband, one which grows better and closer as the years sail by.

Oh my. They sail by so very fast, indeed. 




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Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends who make me smile and who drink coffee or tea and chat with me in Blogland!


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