On February 14th every year, lovers all over the world exchange beautiful bouquets of flowers, sugary delicacies, and elaborate songs, poems, and words to express their undying love for each other. This year, I'm planning to treat this day as any other and get myself deeper into my binging of Shameless on Netflix.
No, I'm not single. In fact, I've been in a committed relationship with my boyfriend for 3 years. Nor am I a Valentine's Day grinch, I actually do enjoy this holiday. But honestly, after doing this for so long, it starts to get pretty old.
It's the same thing every year; the same mushy Hallmark cards, heart-shaped boxes full of Whitman's delicious chocolates and truffles, and the mutual exchange of cute texts and long kisses. No doubt, Valentine's Day is a really sweet holiday for letting your person know how much you really care for them, but it doesn't have the same feeling after you and your S.O. have been together for a while.
After slowing integrating out of the honeymoon period of your relationship, you no longer feel the overwhelming need to constantly proclaim your heart's desires to your partner. You become more comfortable with each other's true selves and are completely okay with not every minute of your lives being filled with relentless passion. They become just another gear in your life, and its really the most wonderful, comforting feeling.
Not only is Valentine's Day basically just for anyone still in that crazy honeymoon phase in a relationship, it kind of limits the romantic gestured to just one day a year. To be honest, I'm secretly a hopeless romantic. So yes, I love all of the little cute things people do for each other; surprise flowers, spontaneous road trips, movie and dinner dates, you name it.
But why should all of these be confined to just one day? I'll tell you there's nothing better than surprising the person you love with a little gift or date plans. That's the one thing I enjoy most, doing things for people I love. Personally, I sometimes may go a little overboard.
For example, this year for my boyfriend's birthday I planned a surprise party, got him hockey tickets, and a brand new watch. So take it from me, I totally get all of the romance that comes along with Valentine's holiday, but why not do those things on a regular basis?
But all in all, I really don't think getting flowers or chocolates or a sweet card for your S.O. should be restricted only to one day. Try doing something more often, even if it is something really small. Believe me, they'll really appreciate it and see how much you care about them.
