A Valentine's Carol

On a day like any other day, out of the blue... I found myself suddenly pulled into an alternate universe for a moment in time when the ghost of valentine's past came crashing into valentine's day present.

My sweet little boy loves to give me things. He loves to work hard for me, and create things that he puts special thought into just for me so I will feel loved by him, and be surprised and blessed. And I always am.

This part of him reminds me so very much of another boy I met about a decade ago, and fell madly in love with at the tender age of 16.

But that is ancient history.

...or so it would have seemed, until a couple mornings ago, when Dawson sat cutting and coloring at the kitchen table, reminding me every few moments not to peek at what he was creating since it was a surprise.

When he was done cutting and scribbling away, he presented me with this:

I thanked him and praised him politely like a good mother should, and then waited for him to be busy enough that I could "find a special spot for it..." (the trash needed to be taken out anyways. Lets face it... you can't save em all!).

He turned around and as if reading my thoughts aloud asked where I was planning to put it.

Before I could answer, he suggested I put it in my wallet.

My purse was in a convenient proximity to where we were standing, so I told him what a wonderful idea that was, and plunged into my goldfish crumb and crumpled tissue sack to fish out my designer knock off pocketbook (keep it classy, Atascadero~!).

I flipped to the very back, where I keep outdated business cards I never bother to sort thru, and pictures of my kids from so long ago you would never recognize them.

I irreverently folded the paper heart from my sweet boy and went to cram it in the least occupied spot remaining.

My fingers fumbled onto something already resting in that compartment, and I took it out and unfolded it in an absent minded moment for a closer look.

That's when history came screaming into the present where I stood.

Almost ten years ago, to the date... the first boy I ever loved had the same brilliant plan to remind me of his love for me. (*note the penciled date in the top right hand corner).

Like father like son.... what thoughtful, creative, attractive men I am lucky enough to call mine.

Here's to the brilliant boys in my life, and the next decade filled X's and O's... and many more to follow.

xoxo