Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day to all. Normally I’m a bit cynical about these retail holidays, especially when the stores begin stocking up all the Valentine’s stuff the minute Christmas has passed, but this day also happens to be our anniversary, and not just any anniversary, but the big 10 year Kahuna.

Again, I’m not one to dwell on anniversaries, and like all holidays and occasions like birthdays, think it’s better to focus on the rest of the year, which when you really get down to it, gives you more bang for your buck. However, I do think there’s something to be said about the institution of marriage and the value of family. This has become glaringly apparent in the face of all the families that are dissolving all around us. It’s striking to me how fragile marriage can be.

In lieu of all this domestic upheaval, we plan on spending our V-day/anniversary heading up to Franconia with the kids to spend a nice couple of days in the White Mountains. We’re bringing out XC ski gear and ice skates to burn off some of the massive quantity of calories that we’re going to consume.

When I relayed this to our good friend KR, she commented on how interesting it was that we were going to spend our anniversary with our kids, hanging out, rather than unloading them and spending it alone. The funny thing is, it never even dawned on me that this was sort of unusual, and I got to thinking that we do do things a bit differently

Then again, we can’t envision it any other way, for better or worse. I was talking to R about it and we both agreed that the time we enjoy the most is hanging out together and doing things as a family. I realize this makes us a bit of an oddity, but when you look around and see how crazy the modern world is, maybe being a bit odd and doing things against the grain isn’t such a bad thing, after all.

The key here is not doing something to be different or the same, but doing it because you want to. Fortunately for us, because of our anti-social tendencies and odd/quirky personalities, we don’t spend an inordinate amount of time trying to fit in or seeking out approval. Living up here in Vermont helps, because people are less judgemental and more open to whatever it is that gets you through the night. I rather like that.

Either way, hope you all have a great V-day, and try not to forget about the other 364 days that are deserving or your attention.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to leovdworp for the pic.