Mrs. Teabody Is All About Hearts

(This was written on Valentine's Day, 2012 but bears repeating in light of the season and for those who think a perfect mate has to be, well. . .perfect. :))

Good Morning, Gentle Reader! Freezing temperatures are the order of the day and every seven minutes on the television, some company is urging everyone to engage in commerce to celebrate romantic feelings. A dangling heart pendant from Zales? Why not? Edible fruit arrangements? How appropriate! A Lexus? Make that a double. Mrs. Teabody adores her  very own Valentine who is rustling magazine pages in the adjoining room, refusing to watch Sunday's missed episode of "Downton Abbey" at this "absurd" time of day.  If Mr. Teabody persists in this unyielding mode, there is little hope of his having a heart-shaped pancake for tomorrow morning's breakfast. Churl. (Mrs. Teabody means that in only the most endearing way.)

Does the advent of  Valentine's Day dredge up the smell of construction paper and paste for you, Gentle Reader? Perhaps you learned in grammar school  how to cut paper hearts. Remember those scissors  as dull as cinder blocks? Mrs. Teabody can still cut a heart out of construction paper quick as anything, an under-appreciated talent if ever there was one. Recall, too, the paper hearts-festooned  cardboard box with a slit in the top for everyone to deposit their cards. Sometime towards the end of the day, the teacher would tear open the box, spilling oh-so-many cards to be distributed among the class. Everyone received at least a few. Those were the days of civility, after all, and even boys sent some -- doubtless at their mothers' machinations, but no matter. Mrs. Teabody's favorite friend, Connie, an exceptionally pretty girl of pale hair and cornflower eyes, always had the highest stack as all the boys were mad for her, but she kindly made light of the fact so as not to hurt one's tender feelings. Here is a typical Valentine of the day:



This  giving and getting of hearts was a wildly extravagant gesture. Though it is hard to imagine it, Gentle Reader, there was indeed a time when envelopes were NOT a part of every household's inventory. Mrs. Teabody treasured these earliest Valentines  along with all other correspondence in a trunk for years. She could never throw away a Valentine from Mr. Teabody. Over the years, he has come up with some memorable ones, and she is grateful to have such an inventive Valentine even when this creativity comes under the imperative, "Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I will NEED a card."

When Mrs. Teabody was much younger, she lived in Carlisle where she was fortunate enough to become friends with the Browns of Franklin Street. The Browns were married on Valentine's Day and they were a couple who - -like all enduring couples - - loved each other madly if imperfectly to the end of their days. Josephine Brown's favorite song was "My Funny Valentine,"  a song played at Jo's funeral, a song Mrs. Teabody never hears without recalling her dear friend of many talents, a quick intelligence and a fierce practicality. These are the lyrics:

My funny Valentine, sweet comic Valentine, you make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable, unphotographable; yet, you're my favorite work of art
Is your figure less than Greek? Is your mouth a little weak?
When you open it to speak, are you smart?
Don't change your hair for me, Not if you care for me
Stay little Valentine, stay! Each day is Valentine's Day.



This show tune comes from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical, Babes in Arms.  The song remains popular; most folks of a certain age can sing snippets of it. However, it is not a conventional love song extolling the love object's perfect beauty and grace. Like Shakespeare's sonnet: "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun . . ."  the adored one is a REAL person -- flawed, but, nonetheless, lovable. Like most people.

Mr. Teabody is just now playing a charming song on his keyboard to help Mrs. Teabody greet the day. Mrs. Teabody sees this as the white flag of surrender so she will make them each a nice cuppa "Pride and Joy," and the two Valentines at Chez Teabody will enjoy "Downton Abbey" at this most unconventional time.
Someone, somewhere, wants to make you a heart-shaped pancake one day soon, Gentle Reader. If you are not already sharing your life with your Valentine, perhaps today is the day to move things forward. Mrs. Teabody strongly suspects your Valentine is right in front of you waiting to make you smile with your heart.   As for perfection? Save it for things cast  in marble, not the human heart.


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