If I hear one more person criticize Valentine's Day, I think I'm going to scream! I've heard so many lonely souls refer to "that stupid holiday" or "that ridiculous day that just shouldn't exist." I hate to seem as though I'm not compassionate, particularly on a day that celebrates warm, fuzzy feelings, but these people have the worst case of sour grapes I've ever seen.
Deep down they know that Valentine's Day is in fact a wonderful holiday, and they'd be thrilled about its existence if only they had that special someone with whom to celebrate it.
I hate to point out the obvious, but there are many people in this world who do have boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands or wives, and for them, Valentine's Day is as glorious as Christmas. Yes, yes, I've heard about all those people who say they don't need a special day to remember to tell their honeys how much they care.
It's really nice to think that we remember to show our love and affection every day of the year, but take a look at reality. In the real world we're all simply to busy to remember to write little love notes or bring home chocolates and flowers. We need a day dedicated to reminding us to express our love.
Others claim to dislike Valentine's Day because it is a sexist holiday -- that is, the guys do all the giving, and the girls do all the receiving. Excuse me, but don't guys love to devour Valentine's candies? Don't they actually eat more of them than women because they're not as concerned with every little inch on their waistlines? Most girls I know have bought their doting guys plenty of Valentine's treats. Valentine's Day is about love between two people, and true love is reciprocated. It's just as easy, and nowadays just as common, for a woman to buy a man a Valentine's Day gift as it is for the reverse to occur.
Then you have the people who claim that Valentine's Day, like Christmas, Easter and every other holiday, has become too commercial. They say it's no longer about love, it's about flowers and candy and cards and stuffed animals and those cute little boxers with red hearts all over them. There's one word that describes these people -- cheap!
These are the types of people who will look for any excuse not to spend money on anyone but themselves. What they need to realize is that all of the flowers, candy and other Valentine's Day hoopla are not a substitution for the love and passion of the holiday, they're merely a means of expressing those emotions. Yes, you can express your affection with words and hugs and kisses, but little gift on Valentine's Day in addition to all that never hurt anybody. And how expensive is a little box of chocolates or a single red rose anyway?
Finally, we have the lonely hearts club -- those people who have no significant other and thus want to ruin Valentine's Day for those who do out of nothing more than jealousy. To these people, I say, "Lighten up!" First of all, just because you aren't dating anyone this February 14, it doesn't mean you won't have someone at this time next year.
And something tells me if you're in those shoes, you will want to get in on the Valentine's Day action as much as any other enthusiast. So don't be a hypocrite; you can celebrate Valentine's Day regardless of whether you have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Valentine's Day isn't just about romance, it's about love in general. And you can love your friends or your family just as easily as you can love a boyfriend or girlfriend. So get in the Valentine's Day spirit, send your parents a card, buy your best friend a little box of candy and stop sulking.
Well, if I've accomplished what I hoped to accomplish, every little store on Main Street that sells Valentine's Day paraphernalia will be jammed, and the phones in every local florist shop won't stop ringing all day. No one has any reason not to jump right in and celebrate Valentine's Day. So put on a red sweater, buy a flower, eat some chocolates, quit whining and have a fabulous time.
