Valentine’s Day is my favourite day of the year for two reasons: I’m a romantic, and a great event happened to me on February 14, 1973.
I remember sitting in the doctor’s office in my early 20s and expecting my second child. The first birth experience, my son, had been touch and go, and the doctor didn’t want a repeat of almost losing mother and child again. He recommended I have a second Caesarian and suggested that I might like to have a Valentine baby.
It would fall on a Tuesday that year. I could check into the hospital the Monday afternoon and I would be first on the roster in the operating room of the Prince George Regional Hospital on Valentine’s Day.
I briefly woke up in recovery and asked a nurse, “What did I have?” She replied, “A boy!” And then I went back to sleep.
When I woke up again, my husband and sister-in-law were waiting to see me. “We got our girl!” I looked at them and sadly replied, “No, we had a boy.” Our hearts had been set on having a boy and a girl. A disagreement ensued. The nurse was called, and the baby brought in. I didn’t have to check as the nurse handed me the adorable bundle, “here is your little girl.”
Every Valentine’s Day, I have a double celebration of joy while my daughter complains it’s no fun having a birthday on a special day. It does mean ordering flowers at the last minute is impossible and restaurants must be booked weeks in advance for dinner, but I think having a Valentine daughter is just perfect!
My second Valentine’s Day story takes place years later. Once again, I take you to my time as director at a senior’s residence. I had a regular column in the monthly newsletter and, one February, I wrote about love and joy and how much I loved Valentine’s Day. Now, the senior’s residence in which I worked was a converted hotel and the units we rented were mostly singles. That meant we rented to single people. It was, and is, a popular place and the rooms were always full.
But that year something changed. Although I don’t think I mentioned it to my board of directors, I know why six people gave me their notice at the end of February. Six people were moving to three apartments. One couple even said to me how much they appreciated my Valentine’s column in the newsletter. Instead of just being friends, they were taking the plunge back into coupledom by moving out and setting up home together.
Not just one couple, but three!
So, I had six empty rooms to fill. I cursed myself for the extra work I had created by writing about love and the benefits of a relationship. I filled the rooms easily, however, as there was a waiting list. The following year, I took a different tack on the February editorial!
My wish for you this Valentine’s Day is that you celebrate love in whatever form it takes in your life and that you also enjoy a little chocolate.
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Laurie Mueller, M.Ed is retired and living in Victoria with her husband, Helmuth. She recently published The Ultimate Guide on What to Do When Someone You Love Dies, available on Amazon. More about Laurie can be found at www.lauriemconsulting.com or on Facebook.