Valentine's Day.......Singles, Celebrate!

Tomorrow is the day all single, non-dating people look forward to all year long. We start counting down on our calendars as soon as one passes........not really.

It can be a depressing day. The rest of the world is going out to eat with their significant other. Buying roses and candy, going away for a romantic getaway, and all sorts of lovely things people in love do.

Meanwhile, the single person goes around wanting to rip apart the hearts they see dangling everywhere, or have the urge to decorate with black, or so I hear. :-) My church used to take the whole Sunday closest to Valentine's Day to speak on marriage and ways to improve it, blah, blah, blah. The singles would sit there and count all the crosses in the sanctuary.......I actually did that once, even figuring how many there were on the hymnals......

It does seem the holiday is all for those who are in love, not for those who are not. So what do we who have no significant other do with the day? There are some options. We can boycott it. Call and complain to stores - why not - the atheists do it with Christmas! We can barricade ourselves in our home and cry our eyes out. We can just ignore the day and try to pretend it doesn't exist. Or...........we can make the best of the day.

I buy Valentines for the people in my life who are important to me. For the kids, this year it was Prince Caspian valentines, which came with tattoos! Of course I didn't give those to the kids, but if I show up at church with several tattoos, you will know where they came from! I also buy the kids candy and sometimes a small toy. This year, it was all candy. I bought cards for my siblings and their spouses, and for my parents.

Valentine's Day is all about love. Who says it has to be gushy romantic make-you-want-to-throw-up love? There are all kinds of love to celebrate on Valentine's Day, so get out of the gloomy doldrums and celebrate love!

1) God. The most important love to celebrate. You can't really send God a Valentine, but what better day to dwell on the love of God, what it means to you, and ways to show God you love Him?

2) Parents. Get them a card. Good grief, you don't have to spend a lot on cards - go to the Dollar Tree and buy them for 2/$1.00. Can't beat it! Buy them some candy too!

3) Siblings. Buy them a card too! Let them know you love them and they are important to you.

4) Nieces & nephews. They don't care what day it is, but will enjoy the candy you give them, and may even be impressed with a Valentine if you buy the right kind, which me, being a savvy uncle who is up on what the kids like, managed to do. :-)

5) Friends. They have some decent cards to buy for friends that aren't gushy or icky. I don't do gushy or icky cards for anyone - why buy something that says something I would never say in a million years?!

6) Grandparents. At least shoot them a card in the mail. They will appreciate it.

The world, and our holidays do seem geared for married people and/or people in love, but this Valentine's Day, seems geared more than all the rest for those in love, but it is time we singles fought back! Don't let the married people take all of the holidays! This Valentine's Day, let us who are not in love, celebrate love, the many kinds of love that we do have. Who needs the gushy romantic stuff anyway?!

Happy Valentine's Day!