A Valentine’s Birthday, Ornaments, and My Shuffleboard Queen Mom

     February 14. The first connection for many people might be Valentine’s Day. For me, I think of my mom and whether she agrees to celebrate it or not, her birthday. She is my Valentine's birthday mom. As I get older, I am finding that as they age, people want to acknowledge birthdays in a huge way. Or, not so much at all. 

     Me? I love birthdays!

     As my co-workers can attest, I block off the whole month of December for my birthday. This can be tricky with the busy holiday season. I have extreme fun connecting with family and friends, overscheduling lunches and dinners, and taking extra long walks with some of my dearest peeps. My Valentine's birthday mom, on the other hand, may not even consider a lunch date with me for hers. Knowing her, she’ll eventually come around, but for now, she’ll keep me guessing. Oh, mother!

     In the ornament warehouse, we will be busy picking and packing those personalized Valentine’s Day “I Love You’s”. Our best friends heart ornament inscribed with “Bestie” or our grill guy with an engraved message that may say “Hot Stuff" are popular picks. I love to see how clever people can be as they celebrate the special people, events, and pets in their lives. The messages they choose to personalize are often endearing nicknames which keep me wondering what the back story might be. Even our toad-ally sweet frog couple personalized with “You make my heart leap” may find its way into some sweetheart’s hands this Valentine’s Day.

     The personalized ornament possibilities are endless!

     For all of my life, I’ve called her mom. I remember how chef girl mom made a special meal and our favorite cake for each of us on our birthdays. Our dinners were typically always enjoyed at home with just family and maybe an extra friend or two. I vividly recall looking forward to a piping hot ravioli dinner for mine, year after year. I don’t remember having that meal any other day, except on my birthday. 

     Special. Moments. Memories.

     When I think of my Valentine's birthday mom, I remember her clever sense of humor which may have occasionally rubbed off on me. She might have been known to pull a prank or two and always tried to put an unusual spin on her cooking or gift giving. As I think about the ornaments on the shelves in our warehouse, my mom comes to life in the gardening girl as I give her continued credit for trying to achieve a green thumb. Trust me, she is clearly still working on it.

     She adores her little chihuahua dachshund mix puppy dog, Paisley, who often wears a tutu or some other outlandish costume for their daily walks. Sometimes, my mom will wear a matching outfit. It's quite a vision. Many years ago, she enjoyed being a bowling girl. As life rolled on, she now enjoys being known as the Shuffleboard Queen. As I write this, I have the brilliant idea to engrave one of our princess crown ornaments with her team name as a birthday gift. She could hang it on her vanity or near her front door to remind herself how royally amazing I find her. What more could I give the gal who has everything and may not even want to celebrate her special day? 

     Special? Yes. She is to me.

     With all the ups and downs, trials and tribulations, ins and outs, and life in general, she is still my Valentine’s birthday mom. Always will be. What a wonderful date to honor a lady who was there for my first breath, word, step, tear, giggle, and ravioli dinner.

     “I love you, Mom!” Happy Valentine’s birthday from me and all my pals here at  MyOrnament.com. We hope you will make it a memorable day! You are worth celebrating.

     Tell me, what are you planning for Valentine’s Day? Will you make a special card for a loved one or purchase one at the store? Do you like ravioli? Please help news of this blog grow by commenting in the “Sitting and Sharing with SunnyGirl” section below: