I think Valentine’s Day is overrated. It might be an unpopular opinion, but I’m accustomed to that. Valentine’s Day is like Earth Day to me; I don’t understand the point of going overboard to show your love on one arbitrary February day.
I used to like Valentine’s Day. I remember when I was a kid in Miss Mullen’s class we would all take extraordinary care making our Valentine’s mailboxes. The class started collecting shoe boxes to decorate, and it was always uber apparent whose parent helped them did all the work. This was in the days before Pinterest so the ideas were original and unique. My box was covered in shades of pink and violet, and I might have had a slight problem with doily overload. One year I used a metal brad to make a little red mailbox flag thingee because I was feeling particularly clever. Back then we all received Barbie or Batman or Holly Hobby cards. There was no candy, temporary tattoos, or glow sticks. No one gave away toys wrapped in vellum bags or entire chocolate bars. Just a card. And we were content.
Today Valentine’s Day is like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter rolled into one nauseating holiday. I smirk at even calling this day a holiday. My sons’ loot from school will compare to their Halloween haul. It’s obnoxious. The kids who just give a card are mocked and teased. I’ve seen it. The kids who make homemade cards will be jeered. One year my son didn’t even decorate a Valentine’s box; he and his classmates just used a large manilla envelope and walked from kid to kid to have them drop a card in…hmmm…sounds like trick or treating to me.
As with everything, Valentine’s Day is more about consumerism than anything else. I have enough made-in-China crap in my house so I don’t need my sons bringing home more plastic gizmos that break and somehow end up in my dog’s poop. I do like the sentiment of a handwritten note or special photograph with a message. I certainly cherish the cards my sons make for me. I do give my kids a little something at their seat at the table and serve something fun to ring in the day. This morning they received some gel pens and drawing paper, and we had homemade heart shaped doughnuts. There’s something about having children that makes holidays more whimsical, but that’s not the part of Valentine’s Day that I’m talking about. I am just fed up with yet more consumerism, over abundance, distorted priorities, and “oneupmomship.”
And I surely don’t want Mac Daddy bringing home roses and chocolates. How cliche. We don’t have dinner reservations. We won’t be gazing into each other’s eyes fireside while I model new lingerie (unless a French terry sweat suit counts). We won’t snuggle with Lionel Ritchie serenading us. We might have some wine with dinner and nibble on some chocolate while Bird practices piano. But that’s like any other night. I don’t need Hallmark to show my love or to feel loved. I admittedly might be in full throttle Get Off Mah Lawn mode. I suppose I am of an age that makes me harken back to the day…
But here’s the deal, I show my husband and family that I love them every single day. If nothing else, they know they are loved. Instead of blowing money on pink bedazzled trinkets and treacly cards, use that money to pay off some credit card debt, donate to a cause you care about, or buy fixins to cook dinner for the people you love.
Heart and passion reign all year long in this house.
if my kid comes home and has been mocked for her homemade cards and cookies, i will bash some heads together. she and i had such fun cobbling things together this weekend.
Anyone can get on the phone and order flowers and pay a ridiculous price for them! My husband made me cabinets for my scrapbooking room, custom made, just for me! I thought those would be my Valentine’s day gift because he finished them a couple days before but I walked into the living room this morning and he had made me a leather bound “desk” for my chair in the living room for my laptop, or magazine or whatever to sit on! It rests on the arms of my chair and comes off easily! It matches our other furniture and is exactly what I have been wanting! What a surprise and the fact that he made it for me was the icing on the cake! I am a lucky woman!
could not agree more Ilina!! making valentines day a big deal is wierd to me. my book club actually changed our meeting date because of one member said her family needed to be together on vday. (Maybe Im the minority but I would have had no prob going to book club!) Homemade cards and an extra I Love You is good for us – but it’s like any other night. I don’t see heart shaped pancakes and pink milk for breakfast in my future.