Yo! Valentine’s Day is coming! What tokens of affection are you going to give yourself?
Sometimes I feel like Valentine’s Day gets this sad wrap. Like, if you don’t have a lover it’s depressing or something. But I say– screw that!
Everyone deserves beauty and love! And there is absolutely NO SHAME in giving it to yourself!
What other day of the year do you have an excuse to give yourself tokens of affection? You don’t need an excuse, of course, but if you want one, HELLO! FEBRUARY 14TH!
Last year we were in the city (Seattle) on Valentine’s Day. Because our wedding anniversary is only a few days away—and that’s our real “love holiday”— my husband and I don’t really plan romance on February 14th. We’ve kind of started to adopt it as a family day. Last year Jason took the day off and we took the kiddos to the aquarium. It was amazing being in the city because it was just brimming with tokens of affection.
Like, every street corner. Literally. It’s worth walking around a city on that day just to see it! It’s so unusually fun and lovely.
My favorite sights were:
- The dozen red roses arranged decadently sitting on the sidewalk corner alone while the deliveryman searched his pockets for the address.
- The smiling young couple chatting hand in hand. On his back was a backpack with a bouquet sticking out the top.
- The woman in the rain trench coat and business attire getting off work— carrying her small, simple, understated glass vase with several yellow tulips inside.
- And of course there was the man carrying a huge collection of skinny pink and purple balloons that had been shaped into hearts.
I mean what other day do you see so many blatant signs that are meant to signify love? I don’t even care if it’s a “Hallmark holiday,” like some claim. Who cares! You get an excuse to get and receive, and remember LOVE!
“Did you get Valentines flowers today?” I asked our hostess as she was seating us in the restaurant last year.
“I did not.” She responded a little sheepishly.
“Oh don’t worry,” I said, “I bought ours!”
It’s true, I was on my way home from the store the night before when I phoned my husband to tell him that I had already bought our Valentine’s bouquets—so in other words— don’t bother.
“Oh great! Glad you took care of that for us!” he replied happily.
Everyone deserves beauty. If the words “Valentine’s Day” on a calendar get people to send tokens of affection and enjoy the brilliance of flowers as necessary, and not superfluous, 
I’m all for it. If no one is going to buy you flowers—buy your own. You’re worth it. They’re equally as pretty regardless of who they came from. Consider it self-love. That’s something we probably all don’t do enough of.
So I say thank you February 14th for giving us all an excuse to think about love. Or pretty flowers— (or chocolate for that matter) all solidly important in my book.
Enjoy your bouquet of delights!
Love,
Aimée
P.S. You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day. If you need an excuse for that, the previous sentence just provided it. It (that previous sentence) will be at work all year.
I like this!