What I’d like for Valentine’s Day is to not hear everyone complain about it.
It’s not that I’ve never moaned and groaned about Feb. 14. To claim immunity to that bitterness would be a filthy lie. But the notorious Valentine’s Day is, like most things, what we make of it. It can be the dreaded Singles’ Awareness Day, stabbing lonesome hearts with visions of all the romance their lives lack. Or, it can be a holiday to celebrate love.
Not love between a boyfriend and girlfriend, or a husband and wife. Love from a child to a parent, between two friends, even for your treasured pet. Love is perhaps the most central theme in human life; it drives our choices, our paths, our points of view. Few things are more important or nobler to celebrate than love.
We should show our appreciation of people on a daily basis. But the fact is that we’re human – we make mistakes, and one of those is taking loved ones for granted. Valentine’s Day is a time to make amends, a wonderful opportunity to remind people how much we care about them.
Look away from those entangled sweethearts over there. Turn your back to the mountains of chocolate at the grocery store. Give your parents a kiss on the cheek, hug your best friend, and rejoice in the love that surrounds us every day.
