Very few people really love or even like Valentine's Day. It's a day of expectation, obligation, disappointment and forced affection for many. It's kind of the social-bully of the holiday department, reminding all the folks out there without partners that they should feel bad about themselves, as they are obviously 'less-than' all the other folks getting candy and flowers. While at the same time bullying the 'givers' into buying overpriced flowers and ugly stuffed animals. In my personal opinion, I think Valentine should go back to the school party version, with cookies and cake for all, cheesy little pick-me-up sayings and wearing hearts on our socks. 'Oh-wait, that's how I celebrate it now'.
As a general rule, I have reconstructed most of the traditional holidays into something I like better, and I am not the only one. Apparently we now have a holiday called 'Galentine's Day', which is a holiday to show love to all your gal-pals out there. (Sorry guys, I guess they didn't think you liked candy). While I love the idea, I personally think the name is super cheesy. But we got to start somewhere, don't we?
There is nothing that says we have to comply with the social-powers that be. We do not have to participate in the traditional hub-bub of by-gone holidays in order to belong to society. That includes the 'need' to buy cheap, plastic-shit or the 'need' to feel like shit because we do not currently have a romantic-love in our life, or want one.
I remember working in a large dental office when I was in my early 20's when Valentine's Day came around. All the women were in a tissy with expectations of whether their fella would step-up and send them flowers (which by the way are 2-3 times their normal price) to the office, but the office manager/owner whose husband was a Dentist in the office spoke up and said: "I would be very angry with my husband if he wasted money buying overpriced flowers because of some stupid holiday". As much as my early 20-something self was still hoping my boyfriend/husband would be dumb enough to do it, I found her words sunk in. I only wanted him to do it because everyone else was. Whether he sent me flowers or not was not in any way related to how much he loved me.
We need to think about all these stupid-consumption things we are forced into by marketing propaganda, and the social pressure we allow them to put upon us. I mean, I personally wonder what to hell happens to all those 'I Love You' Teddy Bears and stuffed animal hearts. I mean does anyone actually like those things?
Instead of feeling the pressure for public displays of affection from a romantic partner (particularly if you don't have one), choose to spend the day speaking love & kindness to all. Make the point of the day to share a bit more joy & affection with the world around you, including yourself. Dress-up because it makes you feel good; not just because you have a hot date. Make heart-shaped cookies for the office, hand out Hershey Kisses, leave sticky-note memos to your co-workers saying super-corny things, like "Your a Super-Secretary" or "You're the best stapler in town". Play, remember how the holiday felt as a kid when you wore red to school and could count on cup-cakes and Kool-aid at the end of the afternoon. Go get a Latte or donuts at lunch and bring one back for your favorite office mate. Tell the people in your life how much you love them.
Have a great day Folks, now go spread some love around!
spreading love-salicrow