It’s February 14 and for most couples, this is the day to give little thoughtful gifts that say I love you. Typical gifts include chocolates, flowers and jewelry or a romantic dinner out. Valentine’s Day is definitely a Hallmark holiday, remarkable for the sale of cards, candies and other treats. For the singles in our lives, it’s a loud reminder that we are alone.
It’s not hard to remember the Valentine’s you spent without a ‘significant’ other in your life. Yet it can be just as difficult to discount the meaning of Valentine as being related only to passionate love. Valentine’s should be about love, period. If you love someone, you send him or her a Valentine.
Just as Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks for the bounty of your life, Valentine’s should be a time to show appreciation for all you love. So whether you celebrate the day as Valentine’s or Single’s Awareness Day, take some time out of your day to do the following:
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*Call your parents and tell them you love them.
*Call your siblings and tell them you love them.
*Tell your children you love them.
*Bring some treats to the office or school and share them.
*If you’re going through a drive-thru, pay for the person behind you. Wish them a Happy Valentine’s Day.
*Smile at clerks, workers and other sales people you may encounter. Bid them a Happy Valentine’s.
*Make a list of all the things you love, share it with someone you care about.
*Invite good friends to share the day with you, single or married.
*Treat yourself to a great meal or a treat and remember, you love yourself as well.
*Forgive someone for slights, real or imagined, as a gift to both of you.
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These are all the small things we can do for ourselves and for each other. Just as we care about our spouses and our families, it’s important to express that love for the people in our lives whether they are integral or peripheral.
Take Valentine’s to heart and give the gift of love. It’s a gift that keeps giving and it doesn’t require a partner, a spouse or even a significant other to have significant meaning. Take back Single’s Awareness Day and Valentine’s and make it Love Thy Neighbor and Love Thyself Day.