Valentine's Day Memory
I'm going to tell you about the best Valentine's Day ever...although at the time I didn't feel so enthusiastic about it.
My senior year at Chatham Hall was one of the best times I've ever had at any school. The only time of the year I hated being away from home was the dreaded Valentine's Day. Christmas we got off for, my birthday was in the middle of summer, and Spring break was usually conveniently right around Easter so few holidays actually made me homesick. Why did Valentine's Day make me homesick? Cause everyone else made a big deal out of it and did stuff while I was used to...well...just saying Happy Valentine's Day and making gagging gestures with my friends back home at lovie dovie idiots (ahhh the maturity of 17 year olds).
My junior year I got the shock of finding out Valentine's Day at Chatham was like the all time parental excuse to lavish attention on their kids. EVERYONE got flowers and cards, some lucky people got chocolate or presents from their boyfriends. I hadn't thought much about it so didn't mention a thing to mom...but had kind of hoped she'd thought of sending me something. Now I can hardly blame mom for not being able to read my mind...sometimes I can't read it either.
So my senior year I made it very clear to mom that I wanted something. In fact, I pretty much said I wasn't coming home for spring break if she didn't send me something, preferably flowers. My mother being an awesome person (and wanting me to come home for the break) called around until she found out what florist delivered to the school and called them to see what she could get. Being on a budget, she went with the most inexpensive live plant since that would last longer than cut flowers. Looking back I can't believe what a demanding brat I was...or that she actually went through all the trouble. Yeah for mom!
So Valentine's day came and the Well (the reception area in Pruden Hall) was filled with flower delivers during the assembly. Unable to wade through the multitude of flowers, I skirted around the edge trying to figure out what was mine. The potted tulips looked pretty, but they didn't have my name on them so I had to wait. It takes a while to hand out about 120 flower arrangements, let me tell you! Finally my name was called...
I was handed a bush. A small, very nice, little bush. No flowers. Just a bush. Needless to say, I was a tad annoyed and called mom to complain (ungrateful wench aren't I?). Mom then called the florist...and found out that yes, they sent me an azalea bush and unfortunately they were blooming a bit later this year. So I took the bush back to my room and grumbled. I apologized to mom, but was still a bit bitter.
A bloody bush.
A week later I was eating my words. The azalea bloomed gorgeous purple blooms, the entire bush covered in perfect buds...just as everyone else's cut flowers were beyond keeping. People came into my room just to stare at it and I even had to take it to a class to let one of the teachers see it. It was absolutely stunning and bloomed for a good week and a half. Best damn flowering bush ever...and in a color I loved!
So today I remembered that bush and remembered the love and trouble my mother went to just to make me happy so I'd feel a little less like the odd girl out at school. I regret to say a nasty cold snap killed that bush, but I will always remember purple azalea flowers and mom when Valentine's Day comes around.
My senior year at Chatham Hall was one of the best times I've ever had at any school. The only time of the year I hated being away from home was the dreaded Valentine's Day. Christmas we got off for, my birthday was in the middle of summer, and Spring break was usually conveniently right around Easter so few holidays actually made me homesick. Why did Valentine's Day make me homesick? Cause everyone else made a big deal out of it and did stuff while I was used to...well...just saying Happy Valentine's Day and making gagging gestures with my friends back home at lovie dovie idiots (ahhh the maturity of 17 year olds).
My junior year I got the shock of finding out Valentine's Day at Chatham was like the all time parental excuse to lavish attention on their kids. EVERYONE got flowers and cards, some lucky people got chocolate or presents from their boyfriends. I hadn't thought much about it so didn't mention a thing to mom...but had kind of hoped she'd thought of sending me something. Now I can hardly blame mom for not being able to read my mind...sometimes I can't read it either.
So my senior year I made it very clear to mom that I wanted something. In fact, I pretty much said I wasn't coming home for spring break if she didn't send me something, preferably flowers. My mother being an awesome person (and wanting me to come home for the break) called around until she found out what florist delivered to the school and called them to see what she could get. Being on a budget, she went with the most inexpensive live plant since that would last longer than cut flowers. Looking back I can't believe what a demanding brat I was...or that she actually went through all the trouble. Yeah for mom!
So Valentine's day came and the Well (the reception area in Pruden Hall) was filled with flower delivers during the assembly. Unable to wade through the multitude of flowers, I skirted around the edge trying to figure out what was mine. The potted tulips looked pretty, but they didn't have my name on them so I had to wait. It takes a while to hand out about 120 flower arrangements, let me tell you! Finally my name was called...
I was handed a bush. A small, very nice, little bush. No flowers. Just a bush. Needless to say, I was a tad annoyed and called mom to complain (ungrateful wench aren't I?). Mom then called the florist...and found out that yes, they sent me an azalea bush and unfortunately they were blooming a bit later this year. So I took the bush back to my room and grumbled. I apologized to mom, but was still a bit bitter.
A bloody bush.
A week later I was eating my words. The azalea bloomed gorgeous purple blooms, the entire bush covered in perfect buds...just as everyone else's cut flowers were beyond keeping. People came into my room just to stare at it and I even had to take it to a class to let one of the teachers see it. It was absolutely stunning and bloomed for a good week and a half. Best damn flowering bush ever...and in a color I loved!
So today I remembered that bush and remembered the love and trouble my mother went to just to make me happy so I'd feel a little less like the odd girl out at school. I regret to say a nasty cold snap killed that bush, but I will always remember purple azalea flowers and mom when Valentine's Day comes around.