Happy Valentine's Day

Today is valentine's and I gotta say... I LOVE valentines day. I always have. I don't know quite why but I love the idea of a whole day set aside for the celebration of l'amore. Believe you me, I have had more than my share of shitty shitty valentines day. There was one year when my ex husband bought me a bottle of whiskey, which he promptly drank. All by himself. AssJack. One year, the boy I was head over heels for, asked me to give his valentine to another girl. She was a piece of work, let me tell you (and if the gossip is true, apparently nothing's changed. Ha!). I have watched my friends, both girls and guys, have their heats torn asunder on account of this holiday. Not to mention that I have worked for both a jeweler and a florist and I have seen the underbelly of this holiday. I had a guy call up to the florist and asked for a $75 dozen long stem Colombian red roses to be sent to Sapphire, a stripper at the local strip club. Did he know her real name? Nope. But he was in love. There was another guy who ordered two of the exact same rose bouquets... One for his wife and one for his girlfriend.

But here's the deal... despite the horrible examples I've seen and experienced, I still love this day. The way I see it is that holidays are a time to stop and reflect on becoming the people we've always striven to be. Christmas is called the season of giving and everyone says that you should keep the spirit of Christmas in your heart all year long. Do you realize how exhausting that would be? Besides I don't know about you, but Christmas tends to bring out the worst in people. We've all seen it. That is why it is only once a year. Once a year, we remember to put our best foot forward, to treat others the way we wish to be treated. That's how I feel about valentines.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to be showered with jewels and candy and roses, like any red blooded American woman, but I don't need all that mess. I think that valentines is less about the act of showing off your love and more about showing those whom you love how much they genuinely mean to you. Sure, you may say "I love you" to your spouse each day but on valentines you have a chance to take a second and think about why you love them. What of the little everyday niceties does your other half do that makes your life more joyful? What are the things you do for them that you would never do on your own, but gladly take the time to do... just so that you can see the smile in their eyes. Valentines is a that one time of year when you can openly dream of the romantic love which has no reality in life, only in musical theatre. You can embrace the matters of the heart and, with every ounce of your soul, believe that the Hollywood glamour of love can one day belong to you.

That is why I love valentines day. So don't give me that crap about how it is a made up holiday, only meant to sell candy and cards. Every holiday is made up. But thank god that they were. Because without these soul vacations, the trudgery of life will bind us down and break us. So love on. Tell all those who have touched your life, that they are meaningful and worthy. Express love. Give love. Spread love. Measure your life in love.