5 Reasons Valentine’s Day is a Lousy Holiday
Let’s face it, in these contentious times, there aren’t too many things we can all agree on, except that Valentine’s Day is a man-made Holiday handpicked to sell greeting cards, candy and jewelry. Here are five reasons why Valentine’s Day is a Lousy Holiday.
(The first four are absolutely on target, but the last one is really what it’s all about).
1. Puts Pressure on us to find just the right Valentine’s Day Card
From the very early stages of our life, the card companies had us hooked. As a little boy, I was stymied by the choices I faced. Would Mary Kelley like a GI Joe Valentines or would she like the Superman Valentine better!?! Then came the annual counting of the Valentines you got at school. The more you got the better! Which ones you got from the girls you liked, etc. ARRRGGGHH! Then later in life, finding the right Valentine was important for a while but let’s face it guys, there comes a time when we walked into the grocery store, made our way to the card aisle, and picked one in about 90 seconds. The girls, however, would spend hours to find just the right card saying just the right thing.
Interestingly, as a “mature” adult, Valentine’s Day cards mean more. Whoever you feel like sending a card to at this point is someone who has weathered the ups and downs of life with you. Partners, children, good friends, etc. It just seems to mean more when you put the stamp on the envelope and send them off.
2. Reminds those who are alone just how alone they are
Not everyone has a boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife, partner, etc. There might be many reasons, divorce or death just to name a couple. We are constantly reminded this is the time of love. The time to be happy. The time to be together.
All of this is great if you have someone to be together with. Maybe, this is a time when we should make some time to send a Valentine to that elderly relative or friend/neighbor who lost the mate or even their pet. Let them know you haven’t forgotten them. Let them know despite what they might think, they do have someone to be together with.
3. Intimate Valentine’s Day dinners seldom are intimate
There is nothing like pulling every “string” you have to get a reservation at that fancy restaurant, paying huge bucks for your intimate dinner surrounded by as many patrons as the place can squeeze in. All while the waiters and hostesses constantly shoot you impatient looks to see if you’re finished so they can usher you out and usher the next couple in for their intimate dining experience. Then…comes the bill! W O W!
4. The Valentine’s Day TV commercials are “killing me!”
Holy Moly! I never realized how many things I needed on Valentine’s Day to be a good person. Just today, these are the Valentine’s Day Commercials I’ve viewed –
A new car for your Valentine!
Please make sure to get the huge red bow on top.
Flowers!
Local flowers, long distance flowers, roses, some that say I love you, I like you, I miss you, etc.
Fruit & Vegetable bouquets!
Watch as your Valentine devours that special cantaloupe and broccoli heartfelt message you sent.
Underwear!
I mean underwear of all kinds – Fancy, plain, bras, panties, camisoles, sexy pajamas, and some I can’t mention in this blog. (Mainly because I’m not sure what exactly they are or how in the world they are comfortable!)
Candy!
Oh yes, “Nothing says I love you like – Boxes of candy, chocolate covered cherries, strawberries, cranberries, etc. (If you cave in and send a box of candy, PLEASE send one that has the handy chart on the bottom saying what’s inside of each one! Just sayin…)
Exclusive clothing at bargain prices!
Nothing says I care, like fooling your Valentine into believing you bought them a designer dress when it cost less than a couple of movie tickets.
JEWELRY!
We can’t leave this off the list! So far today there have been engagement rings, promise rings, rings for someone who’s married, single, in a relationship, out of a relationship, left handed and right handed. (OK, I’m stretching on this one). Bracelets with various stones in them, necklaces, all in gold, silver platinum and metals I’ve never heard of.
5. WE SHOULD BE DOING MOST OF THESE THINGS ANYWAY!
All the things I’ve mentioned here are things we should be doing for the people in our lives that we care for anyway! Think about it, all those years ago, some guys decided there was too much space between New Year’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. So, they chose Valentine’s Day believing it would work “just fine”. However, February 14th doesn’t mean this is the only time we should be reminded of Love. Each and every day we shouldn’t hesitate to tell those we love, that we love them (But we don’t do this enough).
Each day we can send someone a card in the mail. Yes, I said the MAIL, not texts or direct message (But we don’t do this enough). Every day we should feel like giving that gift or taking the time for that intimate dinner. It doesn’t have to be an expensive one. It just must be special because it’s how you feel about the other person (But we don’t do this enough).
The convenient excuse is that we don’t have time or “I was going to do it, but something came up”. QUIT IT! You DO have time. Whatever came up, you allowed to interfere. One of the best things in life is to make time for those you love, those you care for, those who are important to you. Think how great you’d feel if out of the blue you got some flowers, a box of candy, a hug, a simple phone call to say “Hi” or “I love you”. Yes, the gifts don’t have to be big, they simply need to have meaning behind them.
So, even after all my “ranting and raving,” I still hope your Valentine’s Day is incredible. I hope you feel loved and let someone else know that they are loved too! Moreover, I hope this discussion of ours might also remind you to say, “I love you, I care for you, thank you that made me feel really nice” or even just “Hi” more often. I hope you’ll also think of those friends and neighbors who might not have anyone to tell them, “They matter”. And take it upon yourself to let them know that they do.
Have a Great Valentine’s Day!
Peace…
Gregg
(By the way, my favorite color is purple, I like milk chocolate, don’t need any jewelry…I’ll just take the cash equivalent but any color new car would be fine as a Valentine’s Day gift! Just sayin…)