No tags yet.
Its funny when you were in high school, Valentine’s Day was “THE” holiday that determined whether you were cool, hot or interesting enough. If you didn’t have a date, a secret Valentine or an expected gift from your boyfriend/girlfriend, then this day pretty much sucked for you. As we get older though, some of us find this holiday as just another day to drain money out of our wallets—a sales hype overflowing with candy, stuffed animals, chocolates, big cards, diamonds, etc. But there are those of us “in-betweens” that can still find the innocence of this holiday, and make it last all year through.
My Valentine’s Experiences:
I remember being a freshman in high school and was asked to be a junior’s Valentine. I was freaking delighted because I didn’t think any guy would notice me especially not as a freshman, and I was shocked to be thought of that way for Valentine’s day. My date and I went to see a movie, (which for the life of me I can’t remember), and we dined at McDonald's for lunch, lol. As the date went on, all the excitement of just being asked to be someone’s Valentine diminished when the guy I was with, turned out to be not someone I was interested in. We were like ice-cream and croutons – not on the same page at all; completely different interests and views on things. So sometimes in this way, Valentine’s Day may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
I recall when I was younger, my parents gave my sister and I the Russel Stover Heart Candy boxes, stuffed animals, and warm hugs. This made Valentine’s Day extra special. My grandmother would also send me cards in the mail which I was so excited to receive. She would always give me the cards that had cute little animals depicted as families in these adorable comfy homes. You could just feel the love oozing out of the display.
Feb, 13th, 2011 – probably is THE most memorable Valentine’s Day of all time for me with my boyfriend Anthony, at the time. We never liked to go out on the actual Valentine’s Day—we wanted to avoid the ginormous crowds and long lines. We decided to go to Serendipity’s in the city for dinner instead since we always would go there for their famous desserts. As we waited for our name to be called, which we knew would take forever because of how popular this place is, Anthony and I strolled around the area and ended up in a spot that we went to on our first date – while we were also waiting back then to be seated for Serendipitys. We were coming up on our six years together anniversary, and Anthony had asked me what I thought about when we visit our spot. I shared with him my memories of his humorous side to our first date, how that our first date I could completely be myself like no other time before him. I had asked him the same question, and out of nowhere, he kneels down on one knee, on the cold Manhattan sidewalk and said, “I think about how I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Everything and everyone at that moment remained motionless around us. The street lights became our spotlight as shadows of what the light didn’t touch became our private curtain. All I could focus on was the love in his eyes and the care and comfort in his hands as he held my ring. This day marked not only the beginning of our lives together, but the realization for me that every day would be like Valentine’s Day.
How Do We Celebrate Valentine’s Day Every Day? I believe that it should be taught/expressed by parents that Valentine’s Day shouldn’t just be about finding it through getting dates. It starts at home—with the love of your family and friends. The bond, laughter, comfort, support that all adds up in showing us how to continue and recognize to find all of this in the right significant other for each of us. To make Valentine’s day every day, draw from the loving memories you have from your childhood, tell and show others how much you love them and how much they mean to you—this could be family friends and significant others. Recognize others’ worth and give them surprises of happiness, help, and inspiration. Give “just because” gifts, flowers, cards etc., that don’t need a special holiday for it. Every day feels like Valentine’s Day for my husband and I because we practice this daily and we draw good vibes from what makes us happy and what we are thankful for in our lives as a whole. Just this past weekend, my parents and sister visited my husband and I. We exchanged cute little Valentine’s gifts because we knew we weren’t going to see each other on the 14th. It was so perfect to still be able to celebrate such a loving day on all levels--in most thoughtful ways.
Keep the flow of what beats in your heart to remind you, that there’s no time like the present to celebrate love!