Arbor Day | Christmas day | Mother''s Day | Elena Rover

Related Topics


Related Articles

Image about Mother''''s Day

Valentine’s Day Massacre

by Sarah Hepola, Kevin Raub, John Gonzalez, and Elena Rover

1) Change all calendars that she might stumble upon to April. Begin wearing shorts and remarking on how the weather is "so warm." Barbecue outdoors. When she asks what you're doing and where the two of you are headed for Valentine's Day, say things like "you're crazy, honey" and "February was months ago; only crazy people would say things like that." Emphasize the word crazy - because if I know anything about women, it's that they enjoy when you imply that they're mentally unstable. Then, change the subject. Tell her Arbor Day is upon you, and that everyone knows "Arbor Day is for lovers."

2) Break up. Then immediately flee - preferably to a country with no extradition treaty.





Too Much … Okay, Okay, It's Not So Bad by Elena Rover

Even though wonderful things tend to happen to me on holidays - I met my future husband on Halloween; my son got his first tooth on Christmas Day - I am always stressed about the expectations that come with any red-letter day. As if by magic, these designated days are supposed to be exceptional. On Mother's Day, I'm to revel in the joys of parenthood even if my toddler is throwing his lunch across the room or woke me every two hours the night before because his molars were erupting. On my birthday, I'm supposed to take note of how different it feels to be one year older even if I feel exactly as I did the day before (and to be honest, I don't feel much different on the inside than I did at age six). Then there's the biggest abomination, New Year's Day, ripe with "meaning" about the year gone by and the one just beginning. Ugh.





Share Your Comments

ISSUE: Feb 1, 2006
American Way Cover - 2/1/2006