“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” Henry Van Dyke
Happy Valentine’s Day, or, as I tend to view it, happy here’s-another-manufactured-retail-opportunity! Seek, spend, and woo!
A special day set aside to celebrate love.
Or a version of it.
It’s set aside to celebrate lust, desire, and loyalty, perhaps, but not the kind of love that lasts, at least, not in my experience.
My issue is the seeming demand to prove one’s devotion in a romantic relationship on that particular day by buying something, and if you don’t, you’re a bad person and will pay the price!
Retailers are brilliant. They understand the purchasing power of guilt.
Think about it, special days abound wherein we feel we must participate: Mother, Father and grandparent day; Easter, Christmas and Hannukah; Thanksgiving, birthdays and anniversaries.
I’d like to flip the whole scenario on its collective ears: how about we demonstrate love every day except the ear-marked day, and on that day, we can take a day off?
Because love cannot be reduced to a day, a dinner, or a pretty purchase.
It demonstrates consistency despite inconvenience and in spite of ear-marked occasions.
However, there’s a very good chance that some sort of chocolate might be involved in a lot of these manufactured holidays, so that alone is potentially reason enough for participation.
So, if you’re single, like me, maybe prove your love for yourself with a delicious demonstration.
I went with chocolate cupcakes myself.
Guilt-free.
“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~Buddha
