Nineteen years ago, the week of Valentine's Day 1994, a young woman was living in a Montclair apartment with her husband of three years. They did fun things, ate in fancy restaurants, stayed in nice inns. They took long bike rides and even went quahogging* once in Cape Cod Bay, which required rising before dawn. But they wanted a baby, hoped for a baby.
The woman was worried. Would it ever happen? Every month, there was her period, back again, like an unwanted valentine. But Valentine's Day was coming, so she bought cheerful red paper doily hearts at the stationery store and cupid stickers and made pretty decorations that she taped on the old front door to their apartment. It made her happy, and she hoped it would also please the neighbors who passed this door on the way to their apartments upstairs.
By the next Valentine's Day, they were expecting. By the one after, a rosy-cheeked baby girl was there with them. And now, now she is 17. Looking at colleges for next year.
The woman and her husband will live alone again, but for their fluffy white dog. Tonight she made valentines with Martha Stewart iridescent glitter hearts and stars and glittering glue. [It's just glue, her teen girl in the short plaid skirt said of the fancy name.] Still, at her mother's request, she joined in, cutting, gluing and glittering. The woman got her husband to join in, too, even though he was busy writing a book, even on Sunday night. And then the mother placed a special sparkly valentine on the front door of their little house, thinking it would charm the girl's friends, and the mail carrier, too.
Next year, she thought, I will send her a valentine at school, and lots of other mail, a lot with glitter on it, so she knows I'm never far away. So she can picture me at home, happily crafting valentines in our cozy kitchen. So she knows I am okay and that home is still safe and warm.
Good night.
*Quahogging is another way to say clam-digging up in New England. Quahogs are hard-shelled clams.
TCOY
The woman was worried. Would it ever happen? Every month, there was her period, back again, like an unwanted valentine. But Valentine's Day was coming, so she bought cheerful red paper doily hearts at the stationery store and cupid stickers and made pretty decorations that she taped on the old front door to their apartment. It made her happy, and she hoped it would also please the neighbors who passed this door on the way to their apartments upstairs.
By the next Valentine's Day, they were expecting. By the one after, a rosy-cheeked baby girl was there with them. And now, now she is 17. Looking at colleges for next year.
The woman and her husband will live alone again, but for their fluffy white dog. Tonight she made valentines with Martha Stewart iridescent glitter hearts and stars and glittering glue. [It's just glue, her teen girl in the short plaid skirt said of the fancy name.] Still, at her mother's request, she joined in, cutting, gluing and glittering. The woman got her husband to join in, too, even though he was busy writing a book, even on Sunday night. And then the mother placed a special sparkly valentine on the front door of their little house, thinking it would charm the girl's friends, and the mail carrier, too.
Next year, she thought, I will send her a valentine at school, and lots of other mail, a lot with glitter on it, so she knows I'm never far away. So she can picture me at home, happily crafting valentines in our cozy kitchen. So she knows I am okay and that home is still safe and warm.
Good night.
*Quahogging is another way to say clam-digging up in New England. Quahogs are hard-shelled clams.
TCOY
- Church. Felt good.
- Nice walk in snow after church. Also felt good, cleared head.
- Simple iced coffee @ Starbucks.
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A beautiful post! Love, Lin
ReplyDeleteLin, thank you for reading and for the comment....love al
ReplyDeleteSweet, Alice!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen...how are you? I spoke to Candy/Madonna and planted the seed that we all have to get together some time...love alice
ReplyDelete