V - Memories

So.. I noticed a wish for Valentine's Day to be over and,at first, I agreed. I was very tired of the Love Bug stinging everyone else but me. All that love and sweetness floating around was only causing pain and I was also ready for it (Valentine's Day) to be over. Back to normal....as they say. As normal as it gets now a days.

Then I had a memory......a sweet ,good memory.   
This one is for my children.
There was a ritual in our house.   
Every Valentine's.  
Every year!  
For everyone of my children.         
It was the same everytime.

Valentine's day... people in our house getting up and starting the day. Dress for school or work, if it was a day we had to be somewhere. Otherwise it was sleepy faces coming alive for some breakfast.
One by one every child would have to pass by their Dad as he sat in his chair drinking his morning coffee. One by one he would reach out and grab one of them, pull he or she into his lap and ask the question. "Do you want to be my Valentine?"  And if the answer was yes the affirmation gift was a heart shaped box of candies escorted with a hug and a kiss.

Most holidays gift buying was my duty.Gifts that would be accompanied with an occasional signature from Dad.
But never on Valentine's Day. Dick bought the Valentines he was handing out to his sweethearts. He found the card or cards he would then inscribed with words of love.
For a man who rarely showed outward displays of emotions he had no issues when Valentine's Day came around.

On those rare occasions when a YES was not the response. The prize would be withheld. Then the begging would begin. "Please Daddy......I want to be your Valentine !"  "Please...Please"
" Yes Daddy... I want to be your Valentine!" 
And the routine would go on with every child.......every Valentine's Day.....every year!

The rest of his Valentine's Day ritual will forever be in a special place in my heart.

So the question was........"Do You want to be my Valentine?"

My answer........"Yes then. Yes now. And yes until the end of time!"