What is Valentine’s Day? You may hear that question often, and if you are someone like me, your answer isn't positive about the holiday. With this holiday approaching very rapidly I decided that instead of asking adults their thoughts, I would turn to the next generation. Below I list the opinions of varying ages and what they think of Valentine’s Day. I often feel like people think it’s just that holiday where you go above and beyond for your significant other, but maybe we are looking at this the wrong way.
Age 18 - "Valentine’s day to me is just another day. It has no meaning because nobody has shown me what it means and that’s all it feels like."
Age 16 - "A day filled with heart decorations, stuffed animals, and chocolate or maybe a cupcake."
Age 10 - "Its expressing friendship and love. Telling people what you love about them. It’s a holiday that you spend with family and friends. You don’t need to give them anything, but it’s nice to show them how you feel."
Age 8 - "Valentine’s day to me is where people get together and have fun with each other. It’s a day for love. It’s a day to enjoy with the people you love. To believe in yourself and do what you want to do. To love yourself along with others."
Age 7 - "Valentine’s day means love, friendship, and happiness."
Age 6 - "Where you be nice, you love, you don’t try and be bad and you be as nice as possible. You give your best friends and family members presents (valentines). You make new friends and give them valentines also. It’s not about being mean. Not worrying about what other people think. Be yourself."
As with every holiday, it holds as much merit as you give it. Valentine’s Day should be about being around everyone you love. It's about showing the kids that it’s not about bouquets of roses, boxed chocolate and a romantic dinner. I also agree that loving yourself on this holiday is just as important as everything else. Treat yourself to something nice on this day. And if you have a year where you "aren't going to celebrate because you have nobody to celebrate with," you have yourself, and loving yourself is one of the most important loves you need in your life.
This year, I challenge you to remember what Valentine’s Day was to you as a child and to go back to that way of thinking. Sometimes the simplest things in life truly are the greatest.
