The look people give me when I tell them that I love Valentine’s Day could kill. “Oh, it’s because you have a boyfriend…” they all say. But no! 15 years ago, B.B. (before bae), Valentine’s day was still my favorite holiday. And I am definitely not going to let you ruin that for me.
Every year on February 14, my brother and I would wake up and run downstairs, greeted by a table decorated to the highest of “commercial-pink heart” standards. Laying on top of it, we would find heart-shaped pancakes, waffles or even cinnamon rolls. Across from us we would have a special Valentine’s day outfit my mom picked out just for us and a card telling us how much she loved us. With a morning like that, how could you not love the holiday?
The rest of day was always spent handing out Valentine's cards I spent hours selecting and writing out for each friend. From pre-school until college (yes, I still do this), this was one of my favorite parts of the day. At night, I would come up to my room to find a small stuffed animal (usually a sock monkey) and a card from my Dad. I’d pin the card to my bulletin board and place my new monkey next to the plushes from all of the valentine’s days passed. Over the last six years, I have also been lucky enough to add my boyfriend into my Valentine’s Day plans. Each year, we head out to our favorite Macaroni Grill, stuff ourselves with bread and pasta and exchange cards and meaningful gifts.
Now I know what you’re thinking. “All of this is great, but you should tell people you love them everyday!” Well, I do. If you know me, you know how obnoxiously often I tell people I love them. I also regularly surprise my loved ones with treats, hugs and encouraging notes, and not just one day a year. So your comment is null.
To me, Valentines Day is a day to go the extra mile. Not to mention, it’s a day when stores everywhere stock up on everything you need to go that extra mile. It’s not a day to moan and groan about all of the happy people and complain about your current love situation. There are so many people in your life who deserve to know how much you love them and be taken care of a little extra, at least for one day.
So stop hating on me for loving Valentine’s Day. Get over your edgy “I hate commercial holidays because Tumblr told me to” mindset and just enjoy the day. There is so much love in this world and so many people looking for it. There is no reason to hate on a day that reminds us to love a little extra.
