Saturday, October 16, 2004

Happy Sweetest Day!

No! It's not just a Hallmark Holiday I say!

Everyone should be celebrating Sweetest Day!

We can always use a reason to Play!

So that is my attempt at poetry after putting in 10 hours and work and then another additional 3 hours at home.


Sweetest Day was a huge deal in my household growing up. My Mom would make heart shaped pancakes and the table would be set with a little gift by each of our plates that we were not allowed to touch until after breakfast. My Dad would fresh squeeze orange juice, and they would play all love songs, all day. This part could get a bit annoying...

Our presents usually contained like a chocolate heart or a stuffed animal-just something small, but it would still just kill us to look at those damn presents the whole time we ate breakfast.

My Dad, every year, would pick me up and throw me in the air saying, "This ones so sweet she's turned rotten!!!" The big finale to our breakfast would be when my Dad broke out his present to my Mom, which was always something very frivolous and usually very pretty and sparkly.

Then they would usually start making out, which would make us clear the room as fast as our little legs could run. They still do this...and they've been married 44 years...

My parents would always go to a dance or have a date that night and go somewhere special. My sister and I would lay on my Mom's bed as she got ready and put on usually a long black formal dress. She so looked like a movie star.

They would then go out and our Aunt usually came over and watched us. I always wished I could go see what they were doing, but now I realize I probably didn't want to know, as they always stayed gone overnight on Sweetest Day.

As you can imagine, this has fucked up my view of relationships immensely. I shall now join my fellow Gen X'ers and say one thing.

My parents have fucked me up.

Yes, I know this is not in the same way most kids get fucked up, and I should be greatful for getting fucked up in that manner.

I have now said the "F" word more times then I probably have in real life. What is it about blogging that makes me want to say the "F" word?

Anyway, imagine my shock when I entered the dating world and found out normal people do not act like this. I anxiously awaited my very first Sweetest Day with my very first boyfriend only to hear, "What is Sweetest Day?"

What the hell?

Many boyfriends since I have learned that most people do not view Sweetest Day as a real holiday. It's a "Hallmark Holiday."

What is so bad about having a day where you tell someone how sweet you think they are?

This has caused many conflicts in my relationships with men, and the few times I have invited someone over to my parents house for the morning "Sweetest Day Extravaganza" they usually leave thinking we are all a bunch of loonie toons...

It is days like this that I really miss my parents living so far away. Being the proper southern belle that she is, my Mother plans for everything. I received a package in the mail yesterday, and as my nephew and I ate our heart shaped pancakes it sat on the kitchen table.

I opened it up after breakfast and inside was one of those Build-a-Bears. When you squeeze him he says in my parents voice, "This one's so sweet she's turned rotten."

Thank you for fucking me up Mom and Dad!

I say embrace that which is Sweetest Day. Tell someone you think they are sweet. Get them flowers or candy. Make them feel just a little more special today.

What could it hurt?

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