Cupid's Arrow Missed.

We aren't celebrating our typical Valentine's Day this year. Usually, most of our Valentines celebrations centered around school activities and making far too many handmade Valentines Cards than we were prepared for. Without fail, I was up late the night before Valentine's either calling frantically for my kids to finish "one last card" or resigning myself to forge their names and plow through the whole stack of cards myself. The actual day usually unfolded with me at some sort of classroom party, herding sugar-filled twitching children with frosting on their fingers while catching the harried teacher's eye from time to time to determine whether she would actually survive the ordeal. The day was always full of activities usually ending with my children sacked out in their beds with torn open Valentine's Cards spread around them. 

This year is different, however. My children's school does not celebrate Valentine's Day. Instead, they celebrate Friendship Day. The school politely asked parents not to send Valentines cards unless children are prepared to bring cards to all 200 students. Needless to say, I declined. And frankly, I'm a bit relieved.

Though, I have fond memories of all the card-making and parties with my kids, I also have a bit of cynicism with regards to Valentines Day. You have probably heard the cynical spiel: it's a Hallmark holiday; one day of professing your love doesn't cut it; the oneupmanship that the holiday inspires in people...

For my kids, I don't relish the thought of them passing around or receiving words of romantic love at their age (and at their ages now, cards are not always full of the innocence they once were). In addition, commercially made children's cards are full of sappy professions of love and advertisements for brands.

So, in light of all that, I'm happy my kids are celebrating friendships. I will strap on ice skates and herd children around an icy rink and meet some of my children's new friends. My kind of day!