Be Mine

February 14, 2020

It might have been a Facebook post; it might have been a comedian's comment; whichever it was, it went like this: "Have you ever noticed the Valentine's cards for young men in love? "You make my heart sing;" or, "I have the hots for you;" and stuff like that. When you get to the married men's section, they read, "I know I don't tell you as often as I should..." Comedy sadly mirroring real life. 

Buying cards for Linda is usually somewhat stressful. I like the funny ones, but the funniest ones usually aren't the kind we can leave sitting out on the kitchen table. Besides, although they're fun, they don't convey what I really want to say at Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, neither do the romantic ones. I don't know who they get to write some of the drivel that gets printed in these cards. The card companies must hire as their quality control, people with pre-pubescent emotional development. If it can be recited in a sing-songy way and rhymes at the end of each line, it's good to go. It takes some real searching to find anything with the maturity level of even an adolescent. For an old-timer like me, the search can reach expeditional proportions. On those rare occasions where I happen to find more than one that fits the bill, I stock up. Better to have an extra in the dresser drawer than to have to stoop to some of the schtick on the shelves.

That being said, I always prefer short and simple. It's a bonus if it doesn't rhyme. Forty nine years of marriage is enough to know that love isn't always syrupy sweet. It only occasionally rhymes. But those years have tested the mettle of our patience, stretched the resiliency of our commitment, exposed the flaws of our character, and revealed the mysterious glory of love. I am blessed beyond measure that forty nine years ago, Linda thought I had beautiful eyes. Hers were certainly clouded, and I was able to pull the wool over them long enough for her to say, "I do." Best bit of hocus pocus I've ever done, and the magic still mystifies and charms me today.