Happy Valentine's Day

Throughout your life you will find many “loves”. It starts in childhood, with the love that you feel for your parents. Did you know that a lot of studies show that a little girl’s first love is her father? I can see that, in a healthy, non-dysfunctional family. The study says that this sets the girl up to compare all of the men in her life to her first love, her father. Since I didn’t “bond” with my dad at that tender age (he was always working), my “first love” would have been my brother David. Yeah, I can see that – I guess I’ve always looked for someone like him – a loving mate who treats his wife as an equal, a family man, someone who contributes to the household more than just monetarily – but with household chores, cooking, child-care. So I guess I agree with the study, except I would substitute whoever is the “male” figure in the girl’s life – be it a father, grandfather, brother, uncle ….

As we grow older, we extend this love to the ones around us, a favorite kindergarten teacher, Sunday school teacher, a neighbor, playmate. These first “crushes” are always sweet – and can even involve a member of the same sex. I think my first crush of this sort was my kindergarten teacher – a wonderful lady that I worked hard to impress. Every time I got to sit on her lap while reading, was heaven for me.

Ahh, but then there’s the first time we really notice the opposite sex. While there are exceptions, usually it’s the girl that first starts to notice boys beyond the “ooooh cooties” stage. Mine was Chet – yeah, that was his name. It didn’t last long, but I do remember it fondly. This was in the first grade.

Teen love; the angst and the ecstasy. Hormonal overdrive. I don’t think I need to go further except to say that his name was Benny. Insert your own memories here.

We’re all familiar with the rest of this progression, so I’ll shift to the other “loves” that can happen in our lives. My cats have always been my loves – from Checkers, a tuxedo cat of my childhood, to my present unruly three. Pets can bring so much unconditional love into our lives, and the love that we feel for them is just as real and deep as the love for another.

While I’ve never really known the maternal love for a child, I have known that love from the aspect of an aunt. And that love can bring just as much fulfillment as heartache. You watch them grow up, make their own mistakes, and then stand back and hope that they get life figured out.

And let us not forget the love of a friend; someone that can hold a place in your heart just as snug and tight as the love for family. Sometimes, these can be the most important “loves” in a person’s life.

I guess the point of all of this is a hope that you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day, no matter who your valentine may be. Remember that you don’t have to have a mate or significant other in your life to celebrate this day. You just have to have love ….



moar funny pictures

Why I Hate Valentine's Day

Or 101 ways to break my heart.



Happy Wednesday My Friends! Help Spread the word and save our children from the indignities of Valentine's Day.

There’s a group of us that are boycotting Valentine’s Day for various reasons. Some are doing so because of the crassness and commercialism that has taken over the day. Me, I’m doing it because truth be told, I hate Valentine’s Day. I think it was a holiday invented by happy people to kick lonely people in the gut a few times. It started with me in elementary school. I was one of those kids who sat in class and watched while all of the other kids received valentines. Then later, when teachers began to make the class give valentines to everyone in the class – I received some that said “Happy Valentine’s Day, you stink” and other less loving sayings. I don’t understand how the valentine company’s that make the packages for children would print such terrible ones, but they do. Later in high school it was Valentinegrams. These were purchased and filled out by the sender, then delivered to classrooms by people on the Valentine committee (I guess). I never received any of those either. Neither did I have a boyfriend during the Valentine season – I was always alone. Sometime in my 20s mom began giving me one long-stem rose for Valentine’s Day. Even in the grips of Alzheimer’s, she would still remember to have Bebo get my rose. Last year was the first time I didn’t receive one in 20 years. But still, it’s a bit pathetic when your mother is your only Valentine.

So, there will be no Valentine’s from me, no MySpace comments either. I’m boycotting.

Egads!

I'm working with the boss Thursday morning

This has been a warning from the My Boss is a Perfectionist System

We now return you to your regular blogging.

So, yeah, I'm working with the boss on Thursday morning. Can't you tell I'm excited? I like him, but not to work with. He's picky, a perfectionist and he makes me nervous. I make more mistakes when he's around than I would in a month or two. I don't do things the way he does and trying to remember how I'm supposed to do it, well it's just frustrating. On the bright side, I do start my new anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication that morning too. Maybe they'll conteract each other? I apologize for yesterday - I had a minor meltdown Tuesday night and couldn't post. I thought about mom's birthday, Christmas, New Years as days that would get me, but I never considered Valentine's Day and how lonely I would feel. No card, no rose, no mom. Even through the fog of Alzheimer's last year, she somehow remembered to have Bebo buy me a rose. So yesterday pretty much sucked. Big time. I spent the morning getting enrolled in our low-income medical program, saw a doctor, got hooked up with drugs, had three vials of blood withdrawn and in a couple of weeks I should be seeing a psychiatrist. Then maybe Bailey will be a happy camper again. I've had a very hard time since mom died - being clinically depressed when I began taking care of my parent's didn't help much. Not having any medical care for the last 7 years wasn't a good thing either. It's one of the reasons I've had a hard time getting the house in order, and it's also interfering with my writing. Major no no. When you're depressed you have periods of high energy and then periods where things that you normally enjoy don't interest you; hence the writing and then not writing, reading and then not reading.

On the writing front - weeeellllll, my readers may have fits, but I'm thinking of changing the direction of the story. Brandy, quit throwing things at me; Glenice? Yeah, you and what army; Jeanne, I think my cats can take yours; Susan, yeah, they could probably take yours too. I'm getting to know my characters and, well, they're not happy with the story line. Imagine that - like they think it's their story or something. Of all the nerve. No, really, I think (and Bebo too) that the direction I'm leaning towards is a good one. We'll see, I haven't decided yet.

I'd better get to bed now - I have "you know who" in the morning and I don't want to be a slug.

Sorry I haven't been a good blogging buddy either. I think I mentioned that I'm filling in for someone at work and I've been working every day this week. Things will be back to normal (as normal as I can get) after the weekend.

Valentine's Day

Sorry, there isn't a post today. I hope everyone has a happy Valentine's Day.