Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine Babies

Mrs. George Lewis and her daughter Elizabeth
1899

Like Mrs. George Lewis, I have no doubt about who my Valentine is, and (also like Mrs. George Lewis) am astonished to find myself sharing a custom-crafted world of affection with this avid tiny witty being. It's a brand-new world that turns out to be a far more thrilling and interesting world than any known storybook world. Other people, to be sure, dote on other sorts of Valentines. And of course I like to think that I am all about endorsing diversity of choice – yet at the same time I cannot personally actually recall exactly what the rest of the universe even looked like before this blazing comet swooshed in and became the center of everything.


Mabel Watson Payne and her Grandfather
2012