Photo courtesy of Johntex
Other than the chocolate aspect of the holiday, I'm not much into Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong: the legend behind the day is pretty cool. (Saint Valentine of Rome allegedly performed secret marriages among young Romans when the law of the land prohibited young men from getting married--the thinking being that single men made better soldiers.) I am just deeply suspicious of any holiday that invites people to spend spend spend just to show how much you care.
I miss the good old days when Valentine's Day just meant a lot of extra sugar and getting a chance to do some serious crafting with paper doilies and glitter. It was a simpler time. Not that I'm suggesting that jewelers in the 80s didn't run advertising campaigns that insinuated that your wife would leave you and key your car if you didn't pony up some diamonds on February 14. I just didn't notice them. Because I was too busy trying to figure out how to get glitter out of my hair.
Instead of the commercial Valentine's Day celebration, I prefer to keep things simple. I call up people and tell them I love them. (Hint: this works better if the people you are calling actually know you. Otherwise, you get a lot of hangups). I take advantage of the free Hershey's kisses offered in public places. Tonight, I'll make a special meal for my two favorite guys, one of whom will probably throw the majority of said meal on the floor. Mostly, though, I take a moment to be thankful for the people I love. As much as we should do that every day, it is nice to have a holiday, smack dab in the middle of the coldest month of the year, where everyone is taking a moment to reflect on love.
But you all can have my share of heart-shaped balloons, lingerie ads, ridiculous jewelry, and pink and red cards. I'll keep the chocolate, though.
