I admit it. I was one of those people. For a looong time. I was one of those people who bought into the counter-culture of despising Valentine's Day because it made me embarrassingly aware of just how single I was. Or if I wasn't single in the month of February, I had such secretly high expectations that something, anything, romantic was going to happen to me on that day that I would without a doubt be left feeling disappointed and bitter. Bitter if I'm single, bitter if I'm not. I tried the whole "ignoring Valentine's Day" thing for a while, and that didn't really work either. But then something happened. Well, a series of somethings really, that changed my whole attitude.
In a nut shell, my current take on Valentine's Day is this: how could I not love a day that celebrates love!? Because of some crappy things I have been through, I have realized that LOVE comes in all shapes and sizes, and doesn't necessarily have to include another person but should absolutely always include yourself. The day I changed my mindset about this most controversial of holidays, I decided that I didn't actually have to have "someone" in my life to love me to be able to love things myself. And I didn't have to be resentful of all the ladies getting teddy bears and chocolates from their male counterparts because, well, I had some pretty great things in my life to be grateful for, and none of them were stuffed with synthetic fibers and had buttons for eyes. So instead of allowing any bitterness, disappointment, or negativity to infiltrate my day, a couple of years ago I decided to celebrate all of the things I love in life.
That morning I took my dog for a walk downtown. I carried a book with me, and stopped for tea at my favorite little coffee shop. Then I went out and rode my horse. Then I drove myself up to the ski hill, got a half day in on the slopes, came back to town and cooked a steak and potato dinner for one of my favorite friends, complimented by a fabulous bottle of wine. The point is, I did not do one thing all day that I didn't love, and I did it with and for the people and things I love in my life. So what if the love in your life is an overly hairy border collie, or the fresh mountain air, or your sweet skis, or a good bottle of wine, or your best friend. The point is, there is a lot to love about life. The point is, society sets aside a day for us to celebrate love! The point is, we should find something we love and celebrate it! And we should do it more often than every February 14th. Halmark cards and chocolates be damned.
