Valentine’s Day has come and passed and for those 24 hours we were all filled, embodied, strangled, and blatantly exposed to love and all that love encompasses.
Walking through grocery store aisles was like walking through a bad acid trip that containing every shade of pink, red, and purple that one could think of while showcasing these colors on balloons, chocolate, candy, and heinous cards. Oh the cards, don’t get me started here. I spent a good 15 minutes reading cards for pure enjoyment during my weekly Target run only to feel so ashamed that I knew people would buy these cards that expressed their “deepest and truest form of love” for their significant other through overused generic words that come from every other place other than the heart.
Moving on from the cards now, let’s discuss the flowers. The prices of flowers went up significantly over the week leading up to everyone's favorite Hallmark Holiday. Who would have thought the main advertised flower would have been roses too? I forgot that roses are the only flower that represents love, how absent-minded can I be?
In case you have not picked up yet from reading this article that I am not the biggest fan of Valentine’s Day, I am here to tell you that I cannot stand it.
It is not that I hate the shades of pink throw up that is advertised, marketed, and implemented throughout our daily lives leading up to February 14. It is not the increase in prices that surround specific items such as flowers, chocolate, and candy. It is not the gag-worthy cards that are sold by the billions. It is not the dinner dates that you have to schedule 3 weeks in advance because everyone feels the need to go out that weekend to prove their love. It is not the outrageous acts of love.
It is none of that.
I actually love all of that. Maybe not to the extent that some people take this holiday but how can I hate love? Seeing, feeling, and experiencing love is something I find difficult to put into words.
What I do hate is this: why do people only do these things for their significant other on one day out of the year?
Write your significant other a card that contains words, words that you wrote yourself. Words that come from a place that only you can know and understand. Words that make them read it in your voice because they can imagine every sentence your wrote rolling off your tongue in a way that only you can put them together.
But give them that card in the middle of May as a reminder that says something along the lines of, “Hey society isn’t telling me that I should show you love and admiration today but I am. Because I absolutely adore you.”
It costs $7 dollars at Whole Foods to buy your significant other flowers any day of the week except during the week leading up to Valentine’s Day which is when that price nearly doubles. All it takes is $7 dollars to make someones day. To put that in perspective your Chipotle burrito costs more than making your significant other feel loved and appreciated. Skip your weekly treat to yourself at Chipotle and stop by the store to surprise your loved one with fresh tulips, you won’t regret this decision.
You should be actively listening to how someones day was.
You should be showing interest in their passions.
You should be telling them how grateful you are for them.
You should remind them how beautiful or handsome they are especially on days that they feel like they are not.
You should kiss them good morning and kiss them goodnight.
You should open the door for them, that really never gets old.
You should leave a sticky note waiting for them.
You should tell them you love them everyday.
My main point to this is that Valentine’s Day should not be used as the one day out of the year that you show someone you love them. As cliche as it is to say, everyday should be treated as Valentine’s Day and it can be done in the most simplest of ways that do not involve flowers, chocolates, or lengthy cards.
