I was watching the news this week, and one of the stories covered was, of course, Valentine's Day. According to the news source I was watching, it is estimated that men will spend an average of approximately $180 and women around $80. When did economists push their way into this hearts & candies & flowers ritual? To actually report on the financial side of what is supposed to be a special day? Why does it matter what or when or how a person shows their devotion to those around them?
Now, I'm not saying this from a jaded perspective. How could I see anything wrong with a day devoted to love. Traditions where people all around the world stop what they're doing & show the ones they're fond of, through silliness & sweetness that they're thinking about them. Where race, religion, or political affiliation plays no part. This holiday, no matter the speculated origins of an actual St. Valentine, has been giving people the opportunity to exchange small tokens of love, wrapped in cards filled with sentiments for centuries. Something that, unfortunately, has the potential for many to fall by the wayside, save for special occasions. This part of it is great.
I, however, am not big on the commercialized version of Valentine's Day. I don't need a pink stuffed teddy bear, or candies or jewelry. Dinner out is nice, but trying to combat the thrones of other couples to get a candlelit table just isn't my version of romantic. Romance to me means so much more than waiting for that one time a year to pull out all the stops & force my significant other to feel the pressure of always being in tip top form, remembering the Valentine's Day pasts & matching or topping the years that have come before.
Yet, how is it that this anti-commercial, pessimistic side of me can get walk into any given store, see the pink & red decorations & get so giddy? Well, it occurred to me yesterday evening. Sitting there, I saw the excited look in my two youngest kid's faces as they soaked in this day's probabilities. Parties, funny little cards, and sweet treats... Getting out a list of names & sitting at the table hand writing the to's and from's.
There is something so refreshing about watching a child on any given holiday. Their expectations are so different from an adults. My daughter isn't thinking about diamond necklaces or fancy dinners. She's excited to have picked out a set of cute cards & put funny little stickers on them for her friends. My 2 year old isn't stressing himself out for his daycare crush. He's just happy to put crayon to card and give her a Minnie Mouse picture. Their excitement reminds me that, even on one of the most commercialized days, it can be so fun to enjoy the small things rather than focus on the things that society, economists, and the media have told us are par for the course.
So this Valentine's Day, without presents & fanfare, I will sit down with my little family to a nice meal & enjoy each other's presence. Because I want the ones I love to know that I love them-just like yesterday, tomorrow and the rest of our lives.
