valentine's day

I remember very clearly being in first grade and going to the A&P grocery store and picking out a box of valentines for my classmates. The funny commercial looking valentines everyone gave out in class to each other. I can't even remember if people signed them. It was more like trading baseball cards than valentines. Fast forward to present. A mixture of expectations and the rejection of commercialism has forced mothers around this messed up nation to hand make valentines day cards. I can understand the wonderful efforts to make special cards for special friends. In fact, our first wave of valentines day cards were spearheaded my M. asking me to help her make cards for her special friends. But the expectation of hand made valentines day cards for her whole class (even those classmates she does not share days with) is getting me all fired up. So I spent an hour yesterday making stupid hand made valentines. M. did not make them. She does not have patience to sit and make 20 cards. What person under the age of 8 does? And I actually STRESSED over if they were up cute enough. That is annoying. And it seems there is sort of an unwritten rule that the valentines must be hand made, not the commercial hello kitty or barbie variety. M. got her valentines from school this afternoon, and after today they will be a forgotten memory. Trash I will throw out. Well, recycle. Sometimes, I want things to be easy, like buying already made valentines day cards. Sometimes I think the expectations mothers have to meet the "standard" is bullshit. Sometimes I just want to not try so hard and still be accepted. Because kids don't care about what friggin valentine they get, and either do I.