Do I Celebrate Valentines Day?

Number 7 of Keeley’s February Challenge

Photo by Daniel Herron on Unsplash

I can answer this prompt in a single word.

No.

I could probably say not now.

Valentine’s Day has been totally ruined for me by my ex showering me with love and gifts — until he didn’t. I had never had such adoration from any man so it was all new to me. I lapped it up.

He ripped my heart out and stomped on it until there was nothing left. As if that wasn’t enough, he managed to secure a 5 year DVO (domestic violence order) against me which has hovered over my head like a grey cloud. Unless you count crying, cursing, yelling and slamming doors, there was no violence in our 4 years together.

So I don’t even celebrate Valentine’s Day now. I’ve been single for just over 5 years. I am simply too old and too jaded to give my heart to another man. I cannot go through that heartbreak again. It’s still too raw. I cannot and will not trust another man ever again. The only thing that gets under my skin is that I was 63 when we met and have wasted the last ten years trying to replace that love.

The birth of my grandson has given me a new lease of life. I’ll celebrate Valentine’s Day with him. He’s so lovable even when he shakes his head and says “no”.

Amy Francis, The Sturg, Julie KingGood, NancyO, Brett Jenae Tomlin, Karen Schwartz, Autistic Widower (“AJ”) Harry Hogg, Pamela Oglesby, Toni the Talker, Cathy Cremer, Ravyne Hawke, Julia A. Keirns, Robert G. Longpré — [he/him] — Canadian métis, Richard Bailey, Bernie Pullen, Katie Michaelson, Trisha Faye, Laure Dorsemaine, Michelle Jimerson Morris, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, redkitewrites, Celia McKinley, Debika Kumari, Marilyn Flower and of course, Keeley Schroder