Reflections on Valentine's Day

I stood in front of the greeting card section at the local variety store, looking for a 'just right' Valentine for my sweetheart husband, Charles. I found one--but it was nearly $6.00. I'm not paying that for a card he'll read and then toss or put away I told myself. I think I'll just bring him to the store, let him read it, and then return it to the display. Sounds a bit tacky and cheap, but hey, we're all living in tough times! I returned home and told Charles what I found and how I felt about it. I told him I loved him and I looked forward to spending the weekend in South San Francisco with him at a Goal Setting workshop. He said he wasn't going to buy me a card either. We decided to 'be' love messages for each other in actions and words. I liked that. So off we went for our getaway. Saturday night after the first half of the workshop, we sat across the table from one another to order dinner. The restaurant was offering a Valentine's Day Special--$50 a person (who'd want to eat alone on such a day?) and $90 a couple--for five courses, including dessert and beverage. "No way," I proclaimed. "Everyone is out to gouge us on this commercial holiday." We decided to SHARE a $23.00 meal, thus keeping the calories and the expenses under control. We had a wonderful evening of dining, talking, and then dropping off to sleep at 8:00 p.m. in our lovely hotel room. Probably doesn't sound very romantic by convention's standards but it suited us perfectly. We did what we wanted to do--not what the world suggests or even expects. What a freeing moment. Charles and I had our own version of a romantic weekend of learning and loving and we came home happy--and with a few unspent dollars in our pockets.