Here we are, Valentines Day 2018. No other day of celebration is more associated with love, and heartbreak than this.
I hate this day!
Oh yes, you will hear many people saying they hate Valentines Day. Some will be people who have no significant other in their lives to bring them candy, flowers and beautiful cards. Some will be harried people who believe they have to find something expensive as a gift. Some will be people who expected to celebrate in a special way and were denied that opportunity.
I love this day!
And yes, many people will be running around with a huge smile on their faces because they got engaged, they got a gift, they got remembered. Bashful suitors will find the excuse they have been waiting for to profess their love for someone else and feel fantastic. Sometimes Valentines Day is the spark a relationship needs to move to the next level. From all these people you will hear “I Love this Day!”
The Fake Celebration.
No, Valentines Day is not a fake holiday. It is primarily a Christian observation which historically honors martyred clerics long gone. Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni both hold a piece of this day, along with another Valentine from Africa. Little is really known about any of these people, but the most famous one is the Roman Valentine. He was imprisoned because he dared to perform wedding ceremonies for Soldiers, who were forbidden to marry. During his imprisonment he is said to have restored sight to the blind daughter of his Judge. Just before his execution for violating Roman Law he sent the young lady a letter signed “Your Valentine” in farewell. So no, this is not a fake celebration. No doubt it is, however, supported to a high degree by the greeting card industry, candy manufacturers and flower growers.
Making it meaningful.
Commercialized as it may be, Valentines Day does offer us the opportunity to celebrate a worthy goal; honoring love. We can honor love even if there is no one special in our lives with whom to celebrate. We can celebrate the idea of love. We can celebrate the goals of love. We can use it to remind ourselves that of all the emotions and ideals we can have, love is the highest of all.
Giving a gift because we have to is not gifting. Giving a gift, from the heart, be it large or small is always meaningful if you are with the right person. Expecting a gift because you are in a relationship is extortion.
Your reading assignment.
The most meaningful gift you can give your loved one is to hear them. Read Bear and Butterfly and learn how to make that gift count. You can read a sample by clicking the cover below, then start getting prepared for a meaningful relationship.