The 2007 me would hate future me. Valentine’s Day three years ago, I was probably grumbling about this stupid holiday, made up by the conspiracy of greeting card execs, candy makers, and florists, designed to create unrealistic expectations for people in a relationship and to make those who are not in a relationship feel like crap. As you can probably guess, the 2007 me was in the feeling like crap category.
But this year, I have a totally different attitude about it. My husband and I will celebrate our first Valentine’s Day together as man and wife. He knows me well enough to know that I prefer a simple bouquet of hand tied flowers to a big, flashy, expensive flower arrangement; that I prefer a plain Hershey’s bar to a heart shaped box of chocolates that could potentially have chocolate filled with coconut (bleah); and he knows that since I am not a material girl, quality time is more important to me than any gift he could get me.
For the first time in a long time, I’m not rolling my eyes in disgust at the sight of those mushy Valentine’s commercials from jewelers and florists. However, I do think we are missing the mark with this holiday. Since this is one of those events that seems to divide the “haves” from the “have nots” to some degree, this is the perfect opportunity to reach out to someone who needs you.
If you are one of those disgustingly happy couples, then spread your happiness to someone who is lonely and in need of a little happiness. If you are the lonely one, you can also be uplifted by spending your Valentine’s day with someone who needs your love.
If there is someone in your life that is lonely, visit them, send them something, or give of yourself in some way to make their day a little brighter. If you don’t know anyone, make arrangements to visit your local nursing home or assisted living facility. Bring a flower and some chocolate and I guarantee you will have someone who loves you immediately. I’m not saying to forgo the Valentine’s extravaganza, but I truly believe that you will experience even more joy if you share it with someone else.
If you are looking for something special in Orlando, why not take a child or a grandparent to Avalon Park to hear the Orlando Philharmonic’s string romance. Instrument petting zoo starts at 3:00, String Romance at 4:00 and it’s free!
Or in this cold weather, take some blankets down to the Coalition for the Homeless.
At the very least, you can send a Facebook message of friendship to someone who feels lonely.
Have a Happy Valentine’s Day and make it happy for someone else too!
Thanks for the quality blog. I will be back.