Every February, the stores start to put out heart-shaped boxes of candy, cute stuffed animals, jewelry specials, and so on. When we watch TV, there is commercial after commercial for engagement rings or other high-priced jewelry for the ones we love.
I hate it.
Okay, maybe “hate” is a strong word because I do love to decorate for it. The stuff is just too cute. My major reasoning behind my dislike is: Why only one day per year to show the people we love grand gestures of our feelings?
In today’s world, we are overly busy and everything needs to be “right now.” We are constantly connected to some sort of device, whether it’s our cell phones, computers, or any other of the numerous devices out there. Sometimes, so much so, that we will sit in the same room with our people and have no interaction with them. No conversation. No playful banter. Parents will even tell their kids, “hold on a minute, Mommy has to finish this text.” Then, on one day a year, we put down those things to show our feelings.
It shouldn’t be for one day. We should be showing the people we care about how we feel as much as we can. It shouldn’t be one grand day. It also doesn’t take costly items to show it. Little things in the end are the big things. The time we spend and the memories we make with people are what we can genuinely hold on to for life. Jewelry breaks, flowers die, cards get thrown away or ruined and so do stuffed animals, and candy… well, you just have to work off all the calories afterward. Sure, it’s nice to get “things,” but it’s nicer that you stopped and took the time to connect with those you love. I have lost a lot of people in my life, whether it be outgrowing them or death. What I love the most, is the memories that I made with these people and the impressions they left on me. The feelings they made me feel. Those things last and looking back on them is something I am greatly for because I get to feel how they made me feel all over again. Making memories like that takes more than one day a year. I’m not going to celebrate Valentine’s Day one day a year… I’m going to make the effort to show them every day I can that I love them and appreciate them. That means so much more.