Valentine’s Day
Like many men, I feel that Valentine’s Day is basically a marketing promotion to get me to spend money on cards, candy, flowers, and other romantic gifts. Like many women, my wife feels that is no excuse to ignore the opportunity to demonstrate the depth of my romantic feelings for her. So, we observe Valentine’s Day, in our fashion.
Since we met in 2012, we have spent every Valentine’s Day together. All but one just happened to be in exotic, romantic locations, like Cabo San Lucas, Costa Rica, and the Maldives. We were attending skydiving boogies to which Kathryn somewhat reluctantly came along. The exception was 2018, when I was just getting back to work after recovering from an injury .
It is Valentine’s Day 2023, and we are in Costa Rica for the sixth time. The skydiving event is from the 11th through the 19th. Then we will stay an extra five nights at a house we will rent with two other couples, and a night at a hotel before and after the house. Our group decides to have dinner in nearby Santa Teresa, said to have beautiful sunsets. Somehow, word spreads, and a busload of 28 people from the skydiving boogie starts out. Soon the bus breaks down while climbing a steep hill, and we all get out and walk to the closest beach, actually just about a mile from our resort. It is the beach where we will be landing our parachutes in a demonstration for local school children the next day. One fellow insisted that his girlfriend come with him to the beach, rather than wait at the bus for rescue. He had made a plan to propose on the beach at sunset. The breakdown almost ruined it, but he pulled it off. Logan and Marcie are now engaged.
Most of the group stayed for dinner at a steakhouse they found. Kathryn and I and a couple of others caught a replacement bus back to the resort. The Barceló Tambor put on a special Valentine’s dinner at the buffet. As we left, photographers took our picture.
At their suggestion, we went to the photo studio to take more pictures the next day. Here are some of the ones we liked the best.
Instead of exchanging cards on special occasions, Kathryn and I make entries in our Love Log, a notebook we keep for the purpose. Cards are expensive, and are soon lost or discarded. The Love Log is more permanent and accessible. We write to each other in it on anniversaries, birthdays, and Valentine’s Day.
