Precious valentine cards call for reality check

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/02/2022 (1364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: Every year I get a valentine from an ex-boyfriend — nothing too much, just letting me know he thinks of me now and then. The cards are pretty clever and make me laugh. I even show them to my live-in COVID guy. He just kind of grunts. He’s sweet, but not particularly witty and said at Christmas (when I got another card), “I am sick and tired of that goofball barging into our relationship.”

So this year, when the Valentine’s Day card came pretty early, I picked it out of the box and hid it. The card was hand-drawn — really clever, cute and sexy — and I want to keep it forever.

My boyfriend accidentally found the card and ripped it up in front of me. “Who do you want to keep — me or him?” he bellowed. I found myself saying, “Well, it won’t be you, if you keep acting like that.” He’s not doing it for me, but I can’t afford the rent alone. Help!

— Picked the Wrong Valentine, Wolseley

Dear Picked: You may not be in love with the artistic old boyfriend, but he knows how to boost your ego and make you think of him. You and your ex broke up, so review the reasons for that in your head now.

It’s time to face the fact you aren’t crazy about your present live-in boyfriend either. A lot of singles hunkered down with people they were dating at the beginning of COVID because it was cheaper and much safer than playing the field. They may not have been their “forever Valentine choice,” and now a long time has gone by.

Since you can’t handle the rent alone, look for a smaller place, but you can’t do this in secret. To be fair, your present live-in needs to know this, and decide what he wants to do. Maybe he’ll stay in the place you found and pay the whole rent or he’ll look for smaller digs himself.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: I want to do something special for my girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. I’m 22, strong and willing. She might be “the one” for me. I’ve bought her a little gift and chocolate hearts, but I want to do something she’ll remember.

— Feeling Like She’s the One, Weston

Dear Feeling: If you’re on a budget, one thing we have tons of these days is free snow! Even if you live in an apartment, there are lots of little parks full of snow — over a thousand in the city. Remember how snow angels work? You fall backwards into soft snow and make angels with your arms and legs sweeping back and forth.

Above your head indentations, print your names inside a big heart. The heart indicates you care, but it doesn’t exactly say “I love you” which might be too much, too soon.

You’ll want pictures of each other by your snow angels, so ask a stranger passing by to take a couple. They’ll be happy to help. As the old song goes, “Everybody loves a lover!”

Please send your questions and comments to lovecoach@hotmail.com or Miss Lonelyhearts c/o the Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6.

Miss Lonelyhearts
Advice Columnist

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