This one 24 hour period evokes feelings, thoughts and opinions more than any other holiday, except possibly Christmas. It is a day in which we celebrate romantic love. Ahhh!!...or wait a minute...Ughh!!
There are people who fall into the Ahhh!! perspective. They love their partners. They love love. And they enjoy being able to demonstrate these feelings unabashedly. They view Valentine's Day as a ticket to lavish their lovers with flowers, elegant dining, fine chocolates and scented massages. Typically people with this perspective demonstrate love to their partners all the other days of the year, too. Valentine's Day is just a cherry on top.
Surprisingly and refreshingly, there are people with this perspective who are not in relationships. They see Valentine's Day as an extra day to love their friends who are also single, by celebrating with them. Or they demonstrate love to their fellows in general by doing volunteer work. They know in their hearts that if they were in a relationship, they would be all mushy and gushy.
Somewhere between Ahhh!! and Ughh!!, are those who have the indifferent perspective. These people are aware of the day and what it's supposed to signify, but they really don't have an opinion or feelings about it. People in relationships might buy a card and flowers because they have been socially conditioned to do so but there aren't any emotions attached to this process. And indifferent singles simply shrug and figure it's just another day.
Then we have the Ughh!! perspective. These folks loathe Valentine's Day. To many, it's just one more example of corporate greed. Flower shops, fine dining establishments, card companies, etc., all jacking up their prices and manipulating people's emotions. This is a rare occasion where some poor people actually feel grateful for their economic status. They CAN'T get sucked into the greed.
People in the loating perspective also see much of the insidious phoniness that permeates Valentine's Day. Cheating spouses who pamper their partners with gifts to assuage guilt and keep them off their backs. Dysfunctional people in relationships who have no clue how to love and believe that flowers and dinner once a year is good enough. Single people who hate it for no other reason except that they are single. And then of course, the desperate who quickly snag a valentine on a dating site so that they don't have to be alone on Valentine's Day, and thus not appear pathetic.
Much like a mist of water on a hot day, it is refreshing to learn that it doesn't really matter what perspective we hold. This day is going to happen. We can't stop it from coming any more than the Grinch could stop Christmas. What we can do, however; is honestly examine our perspectives. If they impart feelings of contentment and love...awesome! Keep living that perspective. If your perspective is causing you to feel bitter or lonely, gently let go and try a different one. And most importantly, love yourself. Then you will be able to love others and every day will feel like what Valentine's Day in trying to convey.
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