The Only Valentine's Day Message I Need
This Sunday morning, as I do on every Valentine’s Day, I will wake up to a message from my mother. Last year, it was a long email sent at an ungodly early hour, carrying all of her usual, heartfelt, holiday-appropriate sentiments: “Today is not only about boyfriends/girlfriends or husbands/wives but also about the love you share with your family and friends. Remember that your father and I love you unconditionally and infinitely.” She also lightly reminded us, as she won’t need to this weekend, that Valentine’s is the anniversary of my grandfather’s—her father’s—death.