February 13, 2006 | Mama Smith

st. valentine's day

One of the interesting parts about getting married is joining together your often-opposing ideals about certain things, such as what “cleaning” the bathroom really means (very different for bachelor boy meeting single gal), or how to spend your evening hours together, or how/if one should celebrate various holidays.

Matthew never liked holidays or celebrations much growing up, I adored them. Any holiday that came up, I was game for celebrating it. Those who’ve lived with me could have you rolling with laughter over some of the stories. I’ll spare you the details of green mashed potatoes (St. P Day) and pink eggs (yuck, unless you like the idea of eating flesh-like food, don’t try this). I’ve always said, some day I know my kids will enjoy this quirky trait…well, at least for a few years before it becomes horribly embarrassing to them.

Today we celebrate our third Valentine’s Day together. It started off with some special physical interaction…Matthew smacking Amy in the face as he almost faceplanted on a patch of ice during our morning walk to a local coffee shop. It was oh-so-romantic. Standing in the middle of the road, clutching my burning eyes and nose, afraid blood was going to start spurting everywhere, while Matthew regained his balance with Brighton strapped in the Bjorn in front of him…and both of us laughing at how typical this is of our lives. Ah, love is in the air.

I don’t know how long it takes for a tradition to be valid, but I’m thinking 3 years might be a start. I have to convince Matthew that just because Valentine’s Day has been grotesquely turned into a commercialize hayday, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate it in your own way. So we’ve made it a tradition to start the day off with a tasty breakfast. When do you ever REALLY make a good breakfast? Not often for us. Usually it’s coffee and a bowl of Irish Oats.

Then tonight Matthew & I are heading to Osaka. A raved-about sushi spot in Chestnut Hill. But I think my favorite will have been spent during these early morning hours in my p.j’s sharing some homemade french toast & blueberry syrup with my two favorite men…and a swollen nose…ha, ha…not really, but it’d make a good sympathy reminder that would merit a HUGE box of chocolates from Matthew, if we weren’t on this stinkin’ sugar fast.

I’m also off to a Special Friend Tea with my friend, Maria, and her sons, Manny & Benicio. Their nursery school has this every Valentine’s Day where they bring a special friend of their choosing. Matthew would have joined us if he didn’t have work, so B & I are the Smith reps. We made a little gift & Valentine for him, which made me eager for Brighton to be able to join me in creating cut-outs and our own stories and to just be creative together.

I hope you all can soak in Christ’s ravishing love for you this morning.