The Gift Bag

I’m taking a break from my Paris by the Numbers series this week to share a Valentine’s Day tradition my daughter and I have enjoyed for many years.

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 pretty 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 was attending university, 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.

When we moved to France, I brought the bag along, and on the next Valentine’s Day, I filled it with goodies from Normandie and shipped it across the ocean. Amazingly, it arrived on time. As a side note, we’ve discovered that letters and packages often take an interesting route when traveling between the US and France. A few years ago, I sent a birthday card in August to my sister for her September birthday. It arrived the following February; five months late. This card that I sent to a family member took an interesting route. Luckily, the gift bag arrived safely and on time for the holiday.

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 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.

It is a cold and snowy holiday here; but we have plans to enjoy a walk in the snow and a nice meal at home.

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

If you’re curious about our recent travels, click here to check out theTravelsketcher’s recent posts.

Wishing you a safe and happy Valentine’s Day,

Tricia