A Valentine Story...

For as far back as I can remember, I have always really liked Valentines Day...but I didn't love it until I was in the eighth grade.
I was in gym class when the principal came over the intercom and called me down to the office, which of course, scared me to death. After all of my classmates were finished doing their "OOOOOHHHH-YOOOUU'RE-INNNN-TROOOOUUUUBLE-ing," I headed slowly down to the office.
When I walked in, the receptionist had a HUGE smile on her face and said, "A very handsome young man just dropped this off for you!" My eyes sat fixed on a stuffed bear wearing a leopard outfit, and a little bouquet of red carnations with a note attached from a secret admirer.
I was completely surprised and confused, but most of all excited. You can imagine how proud I was to walk back in that gym and show off all the goodies from my "secret admirer!" My friends couldn't get enough, and for the rest of the day, all I heard were questions as to who my admirer might be. After school, I couldn't wait to get home and show my mom and dad...I mean after all, this was serious business for a thirteen year old.
I must have read and re-read the note attached to those flowers at least a billion times. After that, I smelled the flowers a billion more times...I was in love! With who, I didn't know yet- that was but a small detail....ha ha ha.
In the weeks following that Valentines day, every chance I got I would try and closely examine my guy-friends handwriting while they weren't looking, and I told ALL of my girlfriends to do the same!
I let the flowers sit in my room, right next to the bear, until they were completely rotted...and still, I hadn't the slightest clue as to who my secret admirer was.
Eventually I just forgot about it, because as we all know, 8Th graders have a lot of other "social drama" to keep them busy. HA!
Then, my freshman year of high school came, and wouldn't you know, that Valentines Day I got another note (this time accompanied with a rather large box of chocolates) from the same secret admirer. All the excitement was back! And this continued...the notes, the flowers, the candy, the stuffed animals...without fail, every single Valentines Day...all the way up until my senior year of high school. I kept almost everything they gave me (see love notes picture above!)
I figured my admirer was the (tall and handsome) shy type and he was probably never going to come clean, so again, I eventually just forgot about it.
One day, after high school graduation had come and gone, my parents and I were sitting around talking and laughing (as usual) in our living room and somehow my "secret Valentine" came up. They very casually told me that THEY were my "secret admirer" for all those years! After the initial shock wore off, I started laughing uncontrollably, and so did they. And I still think its SO FUNNY. I mean, what parents do that? At first I couldn't decided whether this was just a really sick joke they played on me, or if it meant I was the luckiest girl in the world because my parents cared so much about making me feel special. I decided on the latter. I could just imagine them sitting their together, giggling the entire time they were thinking of what to write me in those cards. I asked them why they did it and they just said, "Because we wanted you to feel good about yourself and we thought it was fun and exciting for you!" I laughed some more. A LOT MORE.
After I thought about it, I guess they were right. It was fun. And it did make me feel good about myself, even if it was all made up...I think every young girl should feel that way at least once.
So that's it. That's how my love for Valentines day began. And ever since Preston and I have been together, we've always celebrated sort of big. Why not?
I'm just waiting for Sawyer to get her very first "secret admirer" Valentine gift. I know she'll be tickled pink, and the first phone call I'll make is to my parents...to tell them thank you.