I am not dating anyone right now, so the day is not filled with romance for me. Nor, however, is it filled with angst. It’s just another day, more or less. I’m more excited about “Chocolate is 50% Off Day.”
Many women have begun celebrating “Galentine’s Day,” a day to celebrate with women friends. I like that idea. It’s fun and cheerful. I’ve never lamented the years I don’t have that special guy with whom to exchange soulful looks over candlelight. Really, it just doesn’t bother me; I’m too independent. But some women are really bummed out. And some women just want to celebrate friendship, which is wonderful. I’m all for anything Girl Power.
When I was a teacher, Valentine’s Day meant tons of flowers, stuffed animals, and chocolate. I especially remember that brand of chocolate that had cute little decorated boxes shaped like hearts, but it contained so much filler that the chocolate tasted like wax. And I never quite knew what to do with the stuffed animals afterwards. I usually saved them for the rest of the year, and then quietly donated them to a charity thrift shop. The flowers were fun even though they didn’t last long. But I cherished every gift. They were, well, heartfelt. One year some workmen were repairing the school’s roof. As I trooped by with an armful of gifts and flowers, I heard one man say, “All the teachers are walking by with so much stuff!” He sounded quite impressed
I remember one year I had just started the “Will we or won’t we” phase of a relationship with a guy I really liked. I wasn’t sure what to do. I stood at the card section of the store just completely overthinking what to do. I finally settled on a comedic card saying, “I wasn’t sure what to get you this year. This is either a Valentine or it’s not, depending on what you did.” I sent it, but he didn’t send anything back. We never did start dating. Sigh.
This year, I’ll exchange Valentine’s with my parents and my close friends. My parents and I will probably even go out to lunch. Then that night while we stream movies, we’ll stuff our faces with candy. I know I have friends and family who love me all year. That’s good enough for me. But chocolate is always welcome.
How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Leave a comment below.
Jill Wellington "Heart Baked Cookies"
Andrea Piacquadio "Women Holding Wine Glasses"
RDNE Stock Project "A Valentine's Gift on Wooden Table"
Alex Green "Woman in Red Long Sleeve Shirt"
We don't celebrate it, although the candy consumption does tend to go up some. Have a great one!
ReplyDelete