Valentine's Day, with Bill Murray

As far as I can tell there are two types of people when it comes to the subject of Valentine's Day.  There are the people who care too much, and the people who don't care enough.  This year, I'm afraid that I fall into the latter category.  Daddy River Badger and I aren't really planning anything, and we're missing that necessary sense of "oh sh*t!" that would force us into something at the last minute.  We've got plenty of excuses: it's too expensive, it's too cliched, we don't like crowds, blah, blah.  Personally, I'm kind of enjoying wallowing in the minor feeling of annoyance whenever a Kay Jewelers ad comes on.  So what's with us this year?  I guess I'm just not into a big production.  I'm looking forward to the morning, when the kids can open their valentines from their grandparents and present theirs to their Daddy.  And for the evening, after they go to bed, for just Daddy River Badger and myself.  A funny movie on cable, maybe sharing a box of cheap chocolate, a nice alcoholic beverage (or three), and a little sexy time.  Bam!

Love is so much more than just a single holiday, but it's nice to have a holiday that's meant to celebrate it, even in a commercialized, annoying way.  It's probably especially important for DRB and I, being as smirkingly complacent as we are with our relationship.  Now, when we've been together for twelve years, married for almost six, when we have three kids and a mortgage.  Now, when we know everything about each other (even the thing that happened that time in that place), and we know that most surprises these days lead to arguments about money.  So, are we doing it wrong, playing down the holiday this year?  Or are we making it particularly special-appropriate for us, at this time of our lives.

We love each other.  We fight a lot, but we've got the love part down.  We fit, maybe too closely sometimes.  We're a little too sarcastic, and a little too cynical, but we appreciate the small things.  Watching a Bill Murray movie, sharing a pile of chocolate, fooling around a little.  I guess that, in the end, the point is to acknowledge the holiday, but not to force it.  For me, taking a step back and enjoying each other, sharing companionship and laughter and well-worn jokes, seems like the most romantic thing we could do.  And the dress code is perfect, too.