To My Valentine

When I was a teenager I ACHED to have Valentine.  Here's my backstory:

I had a lot of friends in high school...but I never really knew who were my closest.  I had a specific "clique" to which I was socially assigned, but of those girls - I really was the least popular.  Living in a city where looks and money were everything, I never really felt like I had any close friends.  (Well, there was one....but she didn't go to my high school.  I can honestly say she changed my life.  Love you, Murr)

Anyway, so amongst our group of friends I was the chubbier, less pretty one who had braces for most of her high school days.  I was never asked to dances and I didn't have any boys that were interested in me.  I would dream about the day that I had a guy that liked me, and hoped that some day I would have a secret Valentine.

I AM SO GLAD HIGH SCHOOL IS OVER.  Seriously!  Why are those four years so miserable?!

College came, and I actually started dating. I had several serious boyfriends, but come Valentine's Day, I was always single.  It was depressing to say the least!  My roommates would get flowers and go to dances, and it was like high school all over again.  How I DREADED that day!

But in 2002, I had my first Valentine.  We had been dating for about a month and a half....and had already broken up twice, but I was thrilled that someone took the time to acknowledge me on February 14th.  He came to my house early in the morning and made me Belgian Waffles with fresh strawberries and cream.  We spent the entire day together and then went out for a crab dinner that night.  He told me that he loved me for the first time that day.

He was my first, and my only Valentine.

Thanks for making years of miserable Valentine's Days worth all the wait.

Love you, Babe!

BDEM:  Banana bread....it's one of my least favorite things to bake (I have no idea why - it's so easy) but one of my favorite things to gobble up and share with my husband and kids.  They love, love love it!

Water:  60oz