Valentine's Day

I used to hate Valentine's Day. You see, from the time I was in kindergarten, until about 5th grade each classroom had a box, all decorated in red and white with hearts all over it, and it had a slot in the top. It was the designated the class mailbox for Valentine cards, and each student who was giving cards to their friends were to deposit their cards (for giving away) into that box.

Usually, the boxes of cards we could buy at the 5 and 10 contained 20 cards, but we almost always had 30 kids in our class. So which 10 did you knock off?

Or, if you were rich enough, your mom would buy two boxes and save the left-overs for the following year. That never happened in our family. Mom bought one box per child, and we had to make do.

The main reason I disliked this holiday was because when the cards were distributed by the designated "mailman" (which could have been a girl) you really hoped you would at least get 20 cards back, not 16, not 15, not 18, but at least 20. After all you had sent 20 cards.

However, year after year I came up short. And year after year I went home depressed knowing who in the class didn't really like me. It was a time to find out if your friends were truly your friends. Of course, on the other side I guess, some classmates discovered that they weren't on my top-20 list as well.

Well, tonight we had a Valentine's banquet here at our Community Clubhouse. It was a catered affair. The average age of the attendees was 70! Alan and I are the kids of the group. But we had a really, really good time. We laughed, we played games, and we ate. And there were no cards distributed, no mailbox to even put cards into, and therefore, I know that all the people there are truly my friends.

Missing, though, were some who have passed away and therefore their respective spouses didn't come. I can understand that. I don't think I would go either if Alan was called Home before me. But, I can't say that for sure because I truly enjoy all the planned events here at Chardonnay, and would miss them and the camaraderie if I didn't attend. I have to say, one of the newer widows was there tonight and was the "life of the party." But she has always been that. And, she attended many events when her husband was so ill.

We have several widows here, and a few widowers. They seem to stay here after they lose their love one, which is nice, and I think that's because this is a caring community where neighbors look after their neighbors, and "everybody knows your name." We don't think of each other as couples. In fact, most of the time the men sit on one side of the room, and the women on the other.

Tonight, however, the "couples" sat together. The singles sat together -- men on one side, women on the other!

It was a really nice event.

ttfn