The Season of Hearts

I wrote on yesterday's page that the "Season of Hearts" has arrived here at Funville. I know some celebrate it mostly on the 14th, but since I discovered Ted Kooser's book Valentines: Poems back in 2009, this holiday has become more special, so nowadays the moment the Christmas decorations are packed away, I begin looking forward to celebrating Valentine's Day. Therefore this photo is preparing for the 14th, . . . but really this day is about my "Pops."

Today is my stepdad's 87th birthday. So yesterday I phoned the florist in his city and ordered a bouquet of 11 red carnations and 1 white rose. Then I asked the florist to make sure the attached card contained these words: "You are one of a kind! I'm so glad to be in your bouquet." I really wanted it to say "You're one in a million," but I couldn't send a million flowers.

When I was in 2nd grade Mom married my stepdad. He had never been married. He gained a wife and two daughters as he said "I do." He loved kids and made my childhood so much better than it might have been. He and Mom had my little brother about a year and a half after they were married.

Pops was comfortable in the kitchen and enjoyed preparing food. Every morning he made a wholesome breakfast; we never left for school hungry. He loved growing a garden and he loved camping. I think our family was one of the first to own an "over the cab" camper-truck. He and Mom would pack the three of us kids into the camper on weekends and head to a nearby campground as close to a wilderness-type setting as possible: the foothills (O'Neal Park), the mountains (Crestline), the beach (Dohney).

He gave me an appreciation for traveling and took us from California to Georgia and Florida several times to visit his parents and Mom's parents and also to Wisconsin where he had grown-up.

When Mom married Pops, he owned a music store in Fullerton. I'm sure he had a lot to do with my love for music. Pops taught me to play the accordion and even though in my younger days we thought that instrument was not very cool, I think learning it gave me a little knowledge of music -- reading notes and keep time; even though I couldn't do either now.

I was devastated when Mom divorced Pops after I had gotten married. Some families have difficult relationships--dysfunction--our family knows all about it, but Pops will always be the man who raised me, took care of me, supported me through the insecurities of childhood and the awkwardness of my youth. I disappointed him terribly when I quit high school and at 15 married Mr. Fun. Thankfully, he got over it.

Now he is my only living parent and I don't see him very often. He remarried a couple years after Mom divorced him. His second wife had three children. Then he and his wife had a daughter. When we are with them, I am treated just like I am one of the blood-related family members.

Pops made the home I grew-up in a wonderful place to live. He brought a stability, a security, a wholeness to my life. He taught me to respect God, other humans, and nature. He made Christmas an enormously meaningful holiday. I can still taste his homemade holiday candies--they were some kind of luscious lumps dipped in chocolate. Every holiday meal was a celebration.

When I spoke with him by phone this evening, he was overjoyed with the flowers and the note I had the florist deliver to him. I am overjoyed that he has been my Pops for all these years. Happy Birthday Pops!

Good night from Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol