My daughter who died almost three years ago now, used to give me chocolate-covered strawberries for special days, mostly Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Sometimes she made them from scratch, along with one of her sisters…they’d buy the chocolate and beautiful big strawberries. After Annie died, Amy’s Ice Cream would call and ask for Annie to see if she wanted to make another strawberry order; it was heartbreaking to get that call. I’ve yet to tell them she’s died. In fact, if the store calls, or I get a reminder in the mail, I just think of it as Annie’s new way of giving me the strawberries. Her big sisters now make sure I get some.
Have you had Valentine’s Day rituals with your loved one that makes the day a little extra difficult? What ways have you found to “make the best of it”?
In the end, it’s a day dedicated to love. And no matter what, I focus on the love I have for my girls, living or dead, my husband, my other family and friends, and my love for those who have lived through loss…even if it hurts a bit.
About the Author:
After working for several years as a Family Support Coordinator for Any Baby Can and EveryChild, Inc., Linda received a B.A. in Liberal Arts from UT-Austin and a M.A.
in Literature from Texas State. She now works as an adjunct English Professor at Austin Community College and says “This can be a perfect job for empty-nesters; I get 28 new “babies” every semester!”
Linda keeps her writing practice going as a blog, which she started on Annie’s birthday in 2010: www.phillips-write.typepad.com. She is currently working on several writing projects about her family, her girls, and her father.