Happy meets Crazy: Why I Love Valentine's Day (and Why You Should Give it a Chance)

I wrote a post once about Mother's Day. (You can read it here.) I think I'm going to write a similar one about Valentine's Day. Right now. With photos of all my Valentine decorations!

I hear this every year:

"I hate Valentine's Day!"

"Valentine's Day is so stupid because people have to express love to their significant other."

"Valentine's Day was created by card and flower companies and is such a waste of time."

"I don't have a significant other, so Valentine's Day is just awful and pointless."

I understand why people say these things, and I understand why people feel this way. I get it. I do. I've been single on Valentine's Day before. I've felt put out and put upon when I've had to find valentines for my kids to give away at school. I know the pain of watching other people receive cards and flowers while I made plans with girlfriends to be bitter, instead. I know.

But those were very brief moments in my life because I have chosen, almost always, to embrace a day of love. I love Valentine's Day! I love it. So much.

Why?

Simply because it is an opportunity for a Romantic like me who loves Love and loves expressing love and not to be seen as a dolt for loving love and expressing love. (Plus, I can usually convince my husband to watch a romantic movie with me, too!)

It's also one of the easiest holidays to celebrate! Aside from helping my kids get valentines ready (simple ones --I'm never down with the extravagant), there's not much prep. I buy a lovely card and treats for my husband. He gets me flowers and we have a nice dinner. Decorations are simple (and take minutes to put up and take down) and there's no big lead-up to it like Christmas nor a big let-down when it's over. I love this!

It's just a simple holiday in which we can celebrate love.

I LOVE love. Adore it.

So, for those of you who constantly say the things I quoted at the beginning of the post, here's some advice:

You don't have to like Valentine's Day. That's fine. You can even hate it! But please keep it to yourself (or your FB status) when you have decided to be all bitter and angry and hate-filled on a day that is supposed to celebrate love. Please don't ruin it for those who are sincere in expressing love on this day. In fact, try really hard to say something nice to someone and voila! You'll have celebrated Valentine's Day without hating it.

You don't have to express your love to your significant other on this day. You don't. In fact, I'm betting that if both of you agree it's stupid, then you can hate V-day together and be happy! You never have to do anything, you know. And if you feel like you have to do something for your significant other, than I am very sorry. You should show love because you want to, not because you feel you have to. Valentine's Day is a great time to show that love because the whole of society has set it up to be easy. But if you don't want to? If it offends you? Then that's fine. Don't do it. The end.

If you think Valentine's Day was set up by card and flower companies, then you are obviously ignorant. (Go here to find out how it started.)

If you think it's a waste of time, then don't do anything with it. Free country and all that jazz. Just don't tell me that it's a waste of my time. Because it's not! It's time well spent, in my opinion.

You don't have to have a significant other to celebrate Valentine's Day! Seriously, that is the biggest excuse I've heard and although I understand it, I don't buy it. I excitedly get my children a little Valentine surprise each year, and they love it! You don't have a significant other? Well, then give valentines to your co-workers. Your friends. Your family. Your neighbors. Bake up some heart-shaped cookies and give them to homeless people. This is a day of LOVE. It's not requisite that it should be romantic love.

(Strawberry plants and chocolates for my sensational six)

"But you're married, of course you can say that."
It's true, I can. I do have romantic love on Valentine's Day. I'm grateful for it, too, because I adore my husband. But why focus on what you don't have, dear reader? Focus on what you do have. You have love in your life. You have family and friendship. Focus on that. After all, charity, the pure love of Christ, is for everyone, not just romance. In fact, it's more than romance. True love is for everyone.