My Dad, the Valentine

My dad is a hopeless romantic. You might not know this if you only know him casually, but he is. He hates musicals, but he loves Hello, Dolly because it was the movie my parents saw on their second date. He loves World War II movies, but he claims that 30 Seconds over Tokyo is his favorite not just for the action, not just for excellent film making, but for the romance in it. Sleepless in Seattle resonated with Dad for the way Tom Hanks' character, Sam, described falling in love with his wife at first meeting, because that was what it had been for him on meeting my mom. It took numerous viewings before the final scene where Sam and Annie meet before he failed to tear up and feel an overwhelming need to seek out my mom for a hug or a kiss or at least to rub her arm. And those are just the movies.

Every year, every Valentine's Day, Dad sends Mom a bouquet of flowers. Maybe it would seem that they're in a rut: flowers delivered to my mom at her place of work every year. But they're not. Dad doesn't simply call the florist and order up a non-descript bouquet. No, they're not big and fancy and outrageously expensive, either. But Dad does go into the florist's shop himself, usually, and pick out the bouquet or special order it with Mom in mind. He keeps in mind the flowers she likes, the colors she likes, and asks them to put together something special for her. Every year.

Once, when my mom was working as a church secretary, such a bouquet was delivered to her. The youth minister, Natalie, happened to be conferencing with Mom about something and saw the flowers. At that time, I was single, and Natalie remarked to Mom that my dad was the reason why I wasn't married: I'd have to search high and low to find a man as good as my dad.

Well, my man isn't a romantic, and he's never given me anything for Valentine's. (In fact, the only time I receive flowers from him was when he surprised me Easter morning the first year we were married.) But in all the essentials, he is a great deal like my dad. And he's just as good, if not better. And that's really saying something!