When swimsuits and plastic pools line Target’s shelves while snow is still melting on the ground, I scarcely notice.
When pre-lit Christmas trees and inflatable reindeer debut in Walmart
weeks before Halloween, I stay silent amidst the condemning Facebook
fray. (Truth told I have to squelch a smile. If you’re curious who’s
hitting the button that makes the mechanical Santa sing ad nauseam, it’s
me.)
Typically, premature holiday celebration pleases me…a lot.
But this year—this year—is different.
On a last minute, Scotch tape-seeking mission to the Dollar Tree this
past Christmas Eve, I saw them: Valentines for the 2014 season.
Disney Princesses. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. My Little Pony.
SpongeBob SquarePants. Seasonal pencils. Colorful, themed erasers.
Conversation hearts.
This year—this year—my not-so-paper heart is breaking just a little bit.
Middle school marks maturation.
No decorating shoeboxes. No magic-markered paper bags tacked to the
in-class bulletin board. No tiny envelopes way too small to mail.
No deliberation over which card is the perfect card for each special
friend. No asking the teacher for the most-up-to-date list of all
classmates in order to dodge the horror of hurt feelings.
No cupcakes. No cookies. No candy. No night-before-the-class-party teacher-emailed requests to please bring baby carrots in order to “balance” the predictable proliferation of sugar.
None of it. We’re 12. We’re done—at least in the way to which I had
grown accustomed—and until now never quite realized, extraordinarily
fond.
This year, for the first time, each of our tween twins is
contemplating sending a single sentimental greeting to his/her own
select recipient…with no holiday motif pencil threaded through the card
or temporary tattoo enclosed. Viva l’amour adolescent.
This year, for the twelfth time, I’m hanging their home-based,
heart-bedecked bags from the hooks their holiday stockings just vacated.
Call me Tevye.
As our sweethearts continue to grow, our celebrations will continue to
evolve*…but for now, this Mama Cupid isn’t quite ready to stop stoking
their Valentine sacks with wee little cards and dentist-daunting
quantities of candy.
(*And yes, it’s beyond safe to assume leprechauns will be peeing green in our toilets next month….)
This piece is cross-posted on RichmondMom.com...go check it out!
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