Every year toward the end of January, you can hear it.
The grumbling in the aisles, the jokes passed while waiting for the self-checkout — everyone is up in arms about the grocery store’s massive Valentine’s Day display. I genuinely believe that some people get more upset over Valentine’s Day than Christians get upset over Starbucks introducing their nondenominational red cup.
I have never understood what makes the day of love so frustrating or horrid to people I myself love the pink, cute holiday and consider it to be my favorite. Now that is an unpopular opinion.
Watching all the ooey-gooey heart-eyed couples go all out might be hard if you are disgruntled about not having a partner or maybe fresh out of a bad break-up. Nobody said Valentine’s Day had to be about romantic love.That may have once been the case, but Valentine’s Day can be about telling anyone in your life you have love for them.
Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a day about love, so why are so many people so hateful? Valentine’s Day should be a celebration of your loved ones, not a day to shame others for participating.
Having a partner should not determine if you spend this holiday reeling over the chocolates and plush teddy bears or griping about it online to your Facebook community — love does not always mean romantic love. And why should a holiday about love have to be about one certain kind?
In elementary school, no one is bitter about Valentine’s Day. In fact, I remember my classmates and I always looking forward to it. A day to wear as much pink and red as you owned, to eat chocolate, make paper hearts for all your friends and to celebrate the special people in your life seemed like, well, a good holiday.
Now it seems growing older has made our view on love narrow, at least in regards to this holiday. Maybe now that we are older and looking for that life partner we take it a little more gravely when no one gives us a valentine. Whatever the case for your discontent, I urge you to look at Valentine’s Day in a new light.
If you are someone like me, who is absolutely overbearing in showing affection both toward my friends as well as in that sickening, mushy-gushy cards and gifts for my partner affection, happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you add this year to the list of good Feb. 14s.
If you find yourself to be one of those people who think Valentine’s Day is a waste of money or a corporate scam or just downright vile, I ask you this: think of one person in your life that you appreciate or care for, and tell them happy Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s does not have to be a day of wallowing in loneliness or berating others for enjoying time with their significant other. Rather, it can be a day where you show all the special people in your life just how much you care. It can be an excuse to make a million tiny crafts, or an excuse to bake a bunch of brownies and have a bottle of wine to yourself.
Whether it’s your significant other, your friends, your family or yourself this year, find a valentine and spend just one Valentine’s Day being corny like the rest of us.
