Valentine’s Pressure
As I was watching a “Simpsons” episode about Valentine’s Day, I asked myself is this holiday overrated? In season 10, episode 14 Homer states, “This Valentine’s day crap has gone too far.” Have we as a society taken the idea of Valentine’s Day too far? Maybe there is some truth in the wise words of a cartoon character. Some people put too much pressure on Valentine’s Day. If you do have a significant other, the idea of what you’re getting them has probably been in your minds for over a month. Or maybe that is just me, I also am the type to buy Christmas gifts on Black Friday. I was talking to my friend and he asked the usual question people in relationships get asked, “what are you and your boyfriend doing for Valentine’s day?” I explained our anticlimactic plans of pizza and ice cream which led to his surprise of, “that’s it?” It made me think, is there more we should do together? Which made me think of the pressure we put on our partners to do something special for us.
Of course it is always nice to receive something and feel loved but how do we define what we receive as special enough? Pictures on Facebook floating around of rose petals covered rooms and bouquets of all sorts. These images are put into our head that this is what we should receive and anything less, is not good enough. The first Valentines day that my boyfriend and I celebrated ended in me in tears due to his lack of preparedness, which I turned into lack of loving me. It was not that he did not love me, it was just his first time celebrating and he did not know what to do. I had an expectation in my head of flowers and sweets. Going back to the “Simpsons” episode, one man (Apu) sets the expectations for the rest of the men and women who want nothing less. Feeling this pressure I think can take away from the whole idea of the day, being able to spend time together. Spending time together is way more special than a bear that will take up too much space and a rose that will die in a week. Especially being college students, time is a very valuable thing for us. We do not have much of it, so to give our time to somebody when it could be used in hundreds of other ways is the most special part. So whether you spend that time on Valentine’s Day to show your love to your significant other, family member, or friend, it doesn’t matter who, as long as you remember the meaning of Valentine’s Day which is spreading love.