THE editor of this paper is a fool, and I don’t care if he sacks me for saying it.
He’s asked me to write about Valentine’s Day and I really don’t think he’s thought about the consequences.
It’s lion’s den territory. For the first time in this column, I must reveal that there’s a love interest in my life, Wanda.
Now, Wanda and my respectful self have been married almost 40 years, and I can guarantee any judgement I pass of a romantic persuasion will be scrutinised with a very fine tooth and comb.
Any room for interpretation I allow, or mistake I make, will be notified to me in triplicate.
You’ll hear it from most men married as long as I have that “peace” is the not-so-secret ingredient to a long and everlasting relationship.
If I now start suggesting ways to make Valentine’s Day the most wonderful day of the year, I’d be lying because I’d be putting it ahead of Wanda’s birthday, Wanda’s Christmas, Wanda and I’s children’s birthdays, and any other day Wanda feels is important at the time.
So, yes I’ll try. Like many others, I’ll probably look for a nice card with a meaningful message that negates the need to write a lot of words.
I may, if inspired, decide to write a poem in the card, short enough to fit around all those words written by a professional Hallmarks person who gets paid lots of money to traverse the beaten path of rhyming mediocrity.
It’ll express my love for Wanda, and it’ll be true. But to coin any cliched phrase about there being no words for my love would be codswallop because everyone knows the expression of true love comes not in a moment, but a lifetime of commitment and understanding; knowing and recognising when Wanda’s having a bad day.
That seems to be more regularly these days. Then, I’m not skipping around the kitchen island as I once might have either.
I then may fall into the trap of lining the pockets of a florist who’s jacked up the prices for one day of the year. And I may allow Wanda to join me for a candlelit dinner where we’ll gaze at the light on the table as we remind each other how many children we have, where we’ve been, and what memories we’ve created along the way.
We’ll share thoughts and ideas about how we should be living our remaining years, and we’ll eventually call it a night early as we do so often these days.
Just another day in paradise, Mr Editor. May peace be with you.
