Sometimes when you start something new in your family you don't know it's going to turn out to be a tradition. And you never know the impact. That's the way it was with our Valentine's tradition started about 20 years ago.
I remember in Jr. High our school would let other students send secret admirer, single stemmed flowers to other students. Sometimes I'd get one but most of the time not. I didn't feel terrible but I'd always wished that I'd get one every time. When my kids were a little older I didn't want them to feel unloved or unnoticed on Valentines. I wanted them to know that I loved them. But, since it's a day for lovers I also wanted the Boyfriend to know I loved him first. My solution was to give the mornings to the kids and the evening to him.
How to give the mornings to my kids when I wasn't too fond of early hours nor did I function well at that time of day. Can I say, "Really not a morning person?" Since I was always up after they went to bed, I hit upon the idea of putting a valentine treasure on the table to be there when they got up. That way even if they got up before me I wouldn't even have to be up yet for the celebrating to begin.
Tradition defined: A long-standing, established pattern of repeated action
(or legend, custom, belief, thought, statement, etc.,)
practiced in one generation and likely passed down to other generations
Though I always did simple, small things (think Dollar Store finds) it was like a mini Christmas to them and it totally worked. But I didn't know then how much it worked. And I wouldn't know until my now adult children spoke of their happy associations with the holiday while many of their friends didn't have such positive feelings about Valentine's day. That "I don't have anyone special to spend the day with" syndrome didn't have the impact on them like it did on others. I was surprised at the unintended consequence.
I was also grateful for it especially after my oldest daughter faced her 1st Valentine's day alone after the end of her 3 year marriage. I was anticipating a very depressing time for her. Though she didn't live with us I put a little surprise on the table and then sent her an early morning text photo of it. Later I talked with her and she was surprisingly upbeat. She said it was because her association of Valentines wasn't only about having "someone special" it was about being loved and she hadn't lost that. As a mom, you can bet at that moment that I was glad for the many years of our Valentine's tradition.
Leila's early morning Valentines tradition, even after she left home.
So, what are some of your Valentine's Day traditions?
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