Red Reminder

I was not thinking of Valentine's Day when I laid out my black polka dot shirt; instead I was thinking of the "sunny and 45" forecast. 

Then, on the 6:49, I say next to a woman dressed in red from her head to foot. That's right.  Red hat, coat, pants, scarf, and boots. I smiled as I sat down and asked the obvious question, Valentine's Day?

Then, on the Avenue, the street vendors who usually sell scarves and umbrellas were out early with red balloons and flowers. They each assured me that they had just what my Valentine needed. I thought of giving a snide remark about not having a Valentine..... but decided that would do no good.

Then, as I walked between schools in the warm February sunshine, there were endless couriers with flowers on foot, on bikes and in carts.  They each looked as if this was the longest day of the year. Stress rather than love pulsed through their veins. Yet, the stress may have been associated with the though of how many deliveries they might make before the sun set on this red flower filled day.

There were glimpses of of children on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram dressed in hearts and families celebrating what I've often denounced as a Hallmark" funded holiday.......

Yet, by noon, I wished I was wearing red and remembered that if I wanted flowers, candy or a new book, I'd have to buy it myself.  I was feeling the love....

So, I picked up a book (or two) during a quick swing by B&N before I splurged on a deluxe salad to go (with sun dried tomato) and smiled as I remembered the wisdom of my mother in law.  "Treat yourself," she would implore me, "no one else knows exactly what you want.".

Red, red, and a sea of memories overpowered those black polka dots.