I love holidays. I love everything about them. I love how each holiday has a certain smell. I love the traditions people and families have for each holiday. I love the decorations. I love the food and candy that each holiday carries. There’s something about them that is comforting. I love the looks on kids’ faces when they talk about holidays. I. just. love. holidays. All of them except one.
I’m not crazy about Valentine’s Day. Do you know what’s even worse than me not really liking Valentine’s Day? My husband LOVES it. What man do you know that loves Valentine’s Day? I mean, SERIOUSLY. I’ve never been heartbroken on or around Valentine’s Day, I’ve never been stood up, I’ve never had a bad experience regarding Valentine’s Day. I’m just not crazy about it. Remember all the decorations, candy and smells I was talking about? I still love that aspect of Valentine’s Day. I can’t resist it actually.
What I CAN resist though are the overpriced greeting cards, the cheesy commercials for jewelry, and the flowers that die (let’s be honest, I have zero green thumb and my flowers start dying the next day I get them) and a few other things. Let me make myself clear: I love love. I love seeing people in love. I love seeing people happy. I just don’t like that there is one day out of the year where people feel they have to show it in extravagant ways.
When my husband and I first started dating he would mail me cards and letters. HANDWRITTEN LETTERS. Who does that anymore?! He would send me small gifts, like $10 gift cards to Starbucks. (Don’t act like you weren’t just like “awwww”.) Four years later and he still does these things for me. I will admit I’m horrible at reciprocating but I try in my own way to show him just how much I love him. The best things about these letters and little small tokens of love are they come when I least expect them. They come when I need them the most. They come from a place of love all year long.
I’ve asked him not to get me anything this Valentine’s Day and I know he won’t listen. I know he will get me a card that he will write a novel in. I know he will probably get me Kit Kats. I know he will probably have some kind of small present that he will say he got before we agreed to no presents. And although I don’t like Valentine’s Day, I love him and I love his enthusiasm.
To all my mama’s out there who love or don’t love this holiday, do me a favor. Teach your girls to be independent enough to treat themselves to things throughout the year and to be strong enough to be okay if and when she doesn’t have a valentine. Teach your boys to show love every day and not just on Valentine’s Day because chances are their significant other will need all that love on a day other than February 14th. Most importantly, love them and love them hard.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Yep! Last night, after the girls were in bed I went to CVS for cards and a little something for the girls – I really struggle with it every year! I don’t want them to feel left out, especially with all the hoopla around it. But I also don’t want to place too, much emphasis on it lol. Great post : )