Re-Thinking Valentine’s Day

This may have something to do with the cough syrup fog I’ve been living in for the past week, but I’ve think I’ve changed my tune about Valentine’s Day (which was that it’s a terrible Hallmark-created holiday full of societal pressure and empty commercial gestures of “love”). I still agree that chocolate roses, and diamond teddy bears don’t equate to love. And no one should feel forced to celebrate this one day because everyone else tells them they have to. But as I sit here swaddled in my electric blanket talking to my used kleenex, what is so wrong with love, be it romantic, platonic, or whatever they call love for your stuffed animal friend (ahem, not in the Furry sense)? Is it so bad to have a day out of the year to stop and say, Hey, Special People In My Life, you are warm and fuzzy and I like having you around? Yes, yes, one should not need someone to declare that today is the day you acknowledge your feelings. But what’s the harm in having one a day a year as a reminder to appreciate the loves of your life all year round?

And in the spirit of broke-ass touchy feel-y loveyness, here are some ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day with anyone you love or even just care about, without supporting the commercial, she’ll-love-you-a-year-longer-for-each-diamond-you-buy-her, aspect of it:

1. One non-rose flower. Maybe even stolen out of a garden. If you get caught, just appeal to the garden owner’s romantic side. Or run.

2. Homemade Valentine/Card/Drawings. My favorite one still is made out of pencil and lined paper.

3. Coupon for something. This is up to your discretion. Could be as mundane as “taking out the garbage all by myself on Sunday night.” Or as exciting as “I’ll take out the ‘garbage’ on Sunday night” It’s up to you.

4. Homemade Jewelry. Not that hard and doesn’t have to be ugly. Drill a hole in the penny you took from the wishing well that turned Pinocchio into a real boy and put it on a chain, and there you go.

5. Make cookies or a cake or pickles. I’d have to time it just right but I kind of want to make pancakes for my mailman. Think how excited he’d be to see something come out the other side of our mail slot, for him! And I don’t think he knows he’s one of the people I look forward to seeing everyday.

6. Promise to take care of them when they are sick. An easy way to get out of this one is get sick first. I suggest licking MUNI poles, or just hanging out with me and my zombie plague. But seriously, tell the important people in your life, in whatever way you can, that they are just that. And not just one day a year.

And now it’s time for my nap…. And more cough syrup.

Photo courtesy of lizileider’s Photobucket