Valentine's Day

With Valentine's day just hours away, I have cakepops to dip, and cards to write for my son to take to school tomorrow for their Valentine exchange.  Just before I head to the kitchen I check my Facebook to see what is going on this morning in imagination-land and I am assaulted by single friends posting their disdain for the holiday because they wont be showered with cheap heart shaped boxes of chocolate, over priced roses or the "Valentines Day Special" down the street at the Macaroni Grill.

I'm sorry but I needed to address this issue that annoys me every year... well here goes..(if you are offended, GOOD).

Here's the deal.  Valentines day is the most ridiculous commercial holiday of them all.  I think that it is worse than Christmas as far as Hallmark Holidays go.  I am married, yes, I have someone on this, the most important romance holiday of the year.  But it honestly means nothing.  Valentine's day is an excuse for kids to get free candy again between Christmas and Easter. If you need to have someone tomorrow night and you are depressed because you don't have anyone or because your significant other didn't get you what you "think" you deserve, you need to evaluate your understanding on love.

http://www.bornrich.com/valentines-day-gift-ideas-wealthy.html

My experience with this relationship damaging holiday has been all over the place.  Some years I had someone, some years I didn't, and no matter if I did have a date who lavished me with roses and gifts and an expensive night on the town or I sat in my room listening to the Cardigans over and over feeling sorry for myself, I always felt the same at the end of the night.  Empty and sad.  The truth is that TV and media paint us a picture of how love is supposed to be and how relationships need to look and when they fall short (especially on Valentines Day) it ruins our ideals of what love actually is. (btw it is not a 3-karat diamond ring, or 24 long stem roses) I am not saying that giving or receiving gifts is a bad thing, it just shouldn't be what your relationship is riding on.  

Before I got married I had a lot of friend turn down really amazing guys because their gifts weren't big enough, because he couldn't take them to Wolfgang Puck's latest restaurant, or because their engagement ring was smaller than 2-karats(this is a true story about several women I know).  These were the same women who were crying on Valentine's day because they were left eating Lean Cuisine alone on Valentine's day wondering why they couldn't find true love. (Does any part of this sound vaguely familiar?)

http://bernardosflowers.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-day-stuffed-animals.html

I do not have any plans tomorrow short of sugaring up my kids with giant cupcakes and maybe a card for my hubby just so that he doesn't feel left out, because that is all this holiday really does...make people feel inadequate.  Stop buying into the hype.  Don't expect your spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend to blow their paycheck on stupid crap to validate you, because the TV says that if you are alone on Valentine's day you are a loser.  Because you aren't and you will be fine on Friday morning if you don't wake up next to a giant stuffed dog with a heart shaped pillow in it's mouth with the words "be mine" embroidered on it.

Happy Valentine's Day

ps, check out the history of Valentine's day

http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day