Happy Valentine’s Day!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m sharing a little story about the gifts I have given my daughter over the years on this special day. Like many parents, I began giving my daughter a gift on Valentine’s Day when she was a young child. For the first gift, I found a cute gift bag with red hearts and filled it with candy, a few toys and some puzzles. I like to reuse gifts bags, so after she opened it, I tucked the bag away in my stash for the next year.

The bag came out again the next year, and I filled it with treasures that appealed to a little girl. I continued using the same bag year after year, and thus the tradition began. When she was in high school, I filled it with jewelry, makeup and perfume; when she got to college I gave her cash or grocery store gift cards. Now that she is married, I continue to use the same gift bag but fill it with candles, seeds for their garden, cookies, something for both of them to enjoy.

A few years ago, I gave them some cookies. I wanted to decorate them with creative swirls, so I made some red food coloring from beets, and attempted to use a toothpick to make the swirls. They certainly didn’t turn out like I envisioned! They looked more like something from a horror film. Still, they were yummy and we had a good laugh too.

The gift bag has morphed into a fun tradition for us, one which I hope to continue as long as possible, or until the bag falls apart, which will be a sad day for us.

I found a few quotes about that seem appropriate for today.

It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them. Agatha Christie.

Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much the heart can hold. Zelda Fitzgerald.

Do you have any Valentine’s Day traditions? If so, please leave a comment, I would love to hear about them.

Wishing you a safe and happy Valentine’s Day,

Tricia

P.S. If you’re looking for an online yoga program, check out my daughter’s yoga website here.