20 Years of Valentines

At age 6: My parents help decorate a shoebox for my first-ever Valentine's Day party. Lots of doilies and pink and red construction paper go into making the perfect box to shove my expected Valentine's into. The day ends with being stuffed with lots of cupcakes and red punch (that's me, and not the box that's stuffed with that).

At age 11: I now make my own doilied and pink and red box. And spend way too much time analyzing which of the five pre-worded Valentine's in the theme-box-o'-Valentines I should give to each classmate. I end the day with spending way too much time analyzing what each received Valentine REALLY means about my relationship with said classmate.

At age 16: I don't have any boxes for Valentine's anymore. The girls with boyfriends get bouquets of flowers delivered to the office. It's not that I want a boyfriend, but I do want to get that note telling me to pick up my delivery at the office. I end the day with my mom asking a stupid question about why I don't have a boyfriend.

At age 21: Although all my roommates have boyfriends, two of them aren't in town. So we still hang out and have a good time. I end my day comforting the roommate whose boyfriend is in town...they got into a fight, and she came home early.

At age 26: I have to answer to way too many people why I'm stuck working on Valentine's Day night. But I notice that there are WAY more lonely and sad adult guys on Valentine's Day than there are girls. As much as single girls get sad on V-Day, I think there comes an age when guys do even more. I realize that working made this my best Valentine's Day ever; I end the day knowing I'm not the only one who ponders my single life...and with a bit more money too.