Ahhh Valentine's Day! The day that lives on in infamy until it comes back around the following year for all those that loathe each other. Whether you're still in the honeymoon phase, married for 20 years or a cat lady-this day strikes terror and dread into your heart for a plethora of reasons. Let's run down some of the many reasons why:
1. The Honeymoon Phase A.K.A. 'Drunk in Love' phase seems like it would be fantastic, but it is much like someone sleeping peacefully on railroad tracks but has no clue a train is on the way. These are the folks buying pajamas and human-sized teddy bears off of infomercials and paying full price for chocolate. 'Ignorance is bliss' and that's probably why these folks fuel the over commercialized V.D. fire and the economy by paying full price for Made in China obligatory gifts of love on this blessed day...'From China with Love.'
2. The Married Waaaaay Too Long group. These are the folks that give the eye-roll at all the Valentine's Day advertising blitzkrieg. If you've been married too long, you know what I mean. A Valentine's Day gift you'd be satisfied with is no one talking with you before 9am, a day off of work so you can get things done around the house, being able to take a bath or go to the bathroom in peace, or simply a nap. This is where these cute little coupons inside a homemade card come in handy. Who would want something that costs nothing?...Married people, that's who.
3. Single people, Cat ladies, the Children of the Scorned and The Bitten Once, Twice Shy can pretty much be consolidated into this last group. You may be happy or depressed about your Relationship Status-so celebrate it either way!
So don't be upset about your 'singleness', embrace it! Look at the bright side-you DO have a date if you just know where to go to get one. Most drug stores have a person who will be lowering prices on Valentine's Day candy by 50% on Valentine's Day evening. Go there, hang out, talk about love, life and happiness, buy them some discounted candy, follow them to their car, get served a restraining order. Go ahead and make a night of it in the county jail-I'm sure you'll find some recently single people there also. Look for opportunity people!
Maybe you can just stay busy on Valentine's Day, take your cat for a walk, or just stay home and contemplate life in your mother's basement shame-eating a TV dinner on your bean bag chair while catching up on Netflix.
If you're creative, you can think about the foolishness of spending money on an over-commercialized holiday that certain card companies probably helped create to guilt you into buying cards for $4.99 and gifts to show someone the level of your love. A great way to not be guilted into buying nonsensical crap on V.D. is just to love and not treat people like crap the other 364 days of the year. Everyone thrifty knows the real holiday is the day AFTER Valentine's Day.
Seriously, I hope everyone has a great day, but the truth is-they won't. Find these people and love them with a selfless love-no strings attached. Maybe it's a elderly widow who just lost her husband of 30 or 40 years. Maybe it's a recently divorced or single mother working and trying to raise children. I was a child of a single mother who was on welfare, going to school and trying to raise four children. Consider the husbands and wives of military members who are away currently serving our country. Their loved ones are away on Valentine's Day serving in harm's way, keeping us safe. Look for opportunities to show the spouses of heroes serving in the Armed Forces some gratitude-especially the ones whose Valentine has paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe. People are struggling and hurting. You'll never know the distance a selfless act of love will go with someone. Many of them suffer in silence and you just won't know until you reach out your hand. Look for opportunity-it's all around us and remember to love every day of the year, not just February 14th.