And now, I'm here, five years later, and this verse has totally changed its meaning. I'm giddy with my love life, I'm excited about the prospects of having so much to improve upon on the violin yet having it all be TANGIBLE for once. And I'm discovering over and over that I have the most amazing friends in the world.
It wasn't until last year that I had a date for Valentine's Day. Usually the day was spent comiserating over a lack of romantic relationships, hanging with my friends, and getting a tiny card or two with pictures of everything from the Muppets to Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.
I got this amazing guy who treats me reeeeal nice the weekend in between Valentine's and my birthday... but then again, he treats me nice at all points of the year, so it's really just an excuse for the two of us to get our groove on.
Um... I mean that phrase in every respect you can think of.
So for me, looking back, I realize that most of my Valentine's experiences have involved really really great people that I wasn't necessarily romantically involved with. And tonight, the girls of Evanston continue the tradition with "Liberation from Love Day," though we only call it this because it sounds defiant. Even Rachel, who's hosting it, is engaged, and far too involved to be liberated from love at all. And I threw out all my old boyfriend crap a century ago... ooh, except for this really nice cookware I inadvertently inherited.
Today's the day I can accept that Valentine's day is more a form of agape than amore for me. I plan to take my faux husband (er, Lindsay) to this party and treat her up real nice. Girls have a way of being sappy in the most absolutely appropriate moments.
I'm so lucky.