Holidays

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Today, I read about an interesting breed of moth. It is a ‘Hawk moth’. There are several breeds of ‘Hawk moth’. The ‘Elephant Hawk moth’ disguises itself by puffing up its’ tail. When it does this, it looks just like a snake’s head complete with beady little eyes. There is the ‘Hummingbird Hawk moth’ that is able to beat its’ wings at the same rate as a hummingbird as it feeds on flowers. The ‘Bee Hawk moth’ masquerades as a honey bee.

My husband shares the Hawk moth’s unique ability to camouflage himself. For years he has been disguising himself as an unromantic, pragmatic person. Today, I am intentionally blowing that cover. It is time for the truth to be told. As you know, opposites attract, which for many, has been the solution to the puzzle of our unlikely match. While it is true that on many things my husband and I are polar opposites, I could never be married to a man lacking romance and I am not married to a man who lacks romance.

My husband’s romantic personality has been evident from the start. He showed up the night of our first date with a single red rose and a lollipop from a specialty florist by the name of (you guessed it!) ‘Roses and Lollipops’. Giving me flowers didn’t stop after the wedding either. For years, he drove by a flower shop on his way home from work. He was on a first name basis with the ladies who worked there. He does many little things every day to remind me of his love. He brings candy home for me that he takes from the receptionist’s candy dish at work. She teases him a little but, also, has asked him what kind of candy I like. Another little habit that he has is to spell out love messages by changing the names of my shortcuts on the computer. My husband watches ‘chick flicks’ with me willingly. I have been sworn to secrecy on one such movie that was set in beautiful Prince Edwards' Isle. Wild dogs couldn’t drag the name of the lovely, freckled, red-haired actress out of me. It is one of our favorite movies. My husband is a romantic no matter how hard he tries to pretend otherwise.

He just doesn’t understand Valentine’s Day. Scouring stores looking for a heart shaped box of chocolates and paying double for a bouquet of flowers brings out the Hawk moth in him. “It’s a retailers’ holiday”, he mutters in disgust. Valentine’s Day came and went at my house without a blink of L’amour et until one year the Hawk moth almost lost his wings.

One la Saint Valentin, I spent the day making a tray of strawberries dressed in chocolate tuxedos for Hubby. When he arrived home, I proudly presented them to him. He then uttered the line that has since hung around his neck like an albatross. My oldest son’s response best describes Hubby’s faux paux, “What were you thinking??!” The infamous line asked that day; “Do you have any strawberries that don’t have chocolate on them?”

Love was not in the air on that fateful night. I can, however, happily report that Valentine’s Day became a celebrated holiday in my home once the smoke cleared.

That Valentine’s Day blunder is a reminder to me of the scripture love covers a multitude of sins. As for my husband, he learned that love your wife as Christ loves the church sometimes means paying double the price for a bouquet of flowers.

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