No question a dozen roses make for a lovely Valentine’s gift. Same for a box of caramel chocolates and a candlelit dinner.
But there’s nothing quite like a Valentine who notices that the cat’s litter tray needs cleaning, and gets the job done right away.
Talk about romantic.
Sure, I like to recline with my special someone by a crackling fire, serenaded by our favourite playlist.
But a truly thoughtful Valentine doesn’t just stoke the flames. A truly thoughtful Valentine will notice when the milk is running low, when the dishwasher needs running, when the kitchen floor’s in need of a sweep.
I’ll take a flute of chilled champagne any old time. I’ll also take a Valentine who informs me that he’s going outside to clean the driveway and then to refuel the car. I love champagne. But I also love a car that isn’t empty.
I’m a sucker for a sappy old card, especially one with a Hallmark verse and several pictures of Cupid. But I can really go for a Valentine who comes home with a new coffee pot, especially when the old one’s been on its last legs for weeks.
Cards are sweet, they really are. But coffee pots last longer.
“Any plans for Valentine’s Day?” I asked a pal the other day.
Oh, she said, they’d probably go for a walk, then order in, maybe Greek or Chinese. But first, she said, her Valentine wanted to see what was up with the washing machine. It hadn’t been draining for ages.
That, I told her, was awesome. You can order Chinese any old day. You can’t ignore the washer.
Get to be our age, and you’ve no doubt observed more than a few Valentine’s Days. You get to think that heart-shaped gumdrops are pretty darned nice, as are chocolate-covered cherries.
But this Valentine’s Day, I may give the significant other something a tad more unconventional and more than a little practical. Like a sleeve of golf balls, say. Or a bag of tees. Or to really make an impact: a coupon for a car wash.
Nothing says romance like a sparkling SUV in the driveway.
I don’t need chocolates, sweet as they are. But a house that’s been vacuumed?
Amazing.
