Valentine's Day Ten Years After

Looking Back

Happy Valentine's Day, T! You and I never made a big deal of the day, but we always went out to dinner (any excuse to visit a nice restaurant!) and exchanged cards. I still have the card I gave you for what was our last Valentine's Day together, in 2008: "It's the same shopping struggle every year... What can you get for the man who has me?"

I so remember our first Valentine's Day, 2000. We had been friends for five or six years, so we knew each other very well. On a ski trip in early February with some friends, when we were finally both single and unattached, a spark was struck. Huh, I thought. And, wow. A week later, the day before Valentine's Day, I was leaving on a work trip, and you brought over a single red rose. Each month following, you brought me more roses: two for our second month, three for our third... In those early months, I walked a foot off the ground everywhere I went.

Thank you for your love, your name, and the wonderful memories of our time together. I love you, T, and you are always in my heart.

Looking Forward
Happy Valentine's Day, Guy! No matter what happens with us in the future, I will always remember with great fondness this Valentine's Day, 2010. Your sweetness and attention has reminded me that the sun does rise again, that goodness returns, that there is the possibility of new love on the horizon.

Here's how our the day unfolded: Because I had an overnight babysitter for Friday night, we marked the event a couple days early. We met in the city for a stroll around China Town, a cocktail at a little French Bistro, and a great Italian dinner in the Financial District. I saw your place for the first time, which gave me so much more information about who you are than just talking on the phone or meeting for a walk or dinner. I enjoyed getting to know you through your aptitude as a host, your cooking skills, and just being with you for a more extended period than we've had to date. And so far, I like what I see. Very much. It was a lovely Valentine's celebration with a lovely man, one I look forward to spending more time with.