Biased

I love Valentine's Day! I don't like it because of the romance or the promise of getting a giant box of chocolates. I love it, because it's a holiday totally devoted to LOVE. Of course, that's not to say that I haven't bristled at the notion of getting yet another white stuffed teddy bear holding a red heart that says: I Love You Beary Much , but overall I, for as long as I can remember, have loved Valentine's Day.

I know the big complaint about this holiday is that it is the commercialized product of the card and chocolate companies, but I guess I've always felt that there could be worse holidays out there than one that celebrates love. I think people have fallen into the trap of thinking that Valentine's Day is only a day for people in relationships. I've never thought of it this way. To me, Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate the people in your life whom you love. That could be your grandparents, parents, siblings, husband, wife, children, or dog. And yes, I know that we don't need a special day to tell people we love them, but the sad fact is that most of the time people are too busy with their lives to remember to utter those three simple words. Sure I remember to tell my husband and kids that I love them before they leave for work and school, or before we go to bed at night, but the words almost become like an over used mantra. Over time they begin to sound as common place as "Please pass the butter" or "Remember to take out the garbage." It's not that the words are not important, it's just that you don't typically think about the actual meaning of them when you say them.

So that is why I love Valentine's Day. I love it, because it is the one time each year when people are forced to stop and think about the people in their lives that they love. They are forced to think about what the words "I love you" really means. Maybe I'm being a touch naive, but I honestly don't think love, commercialized or not, is a bad thing to celebrate.

Of course, I may also be a little biased, because my birthday is Valentine's Day. How can you hate a holiday you were born on? So Happy Valentine's Day to all you out there. XOXOXOX

P.S. Please stop by and check out my 1950s blog at www.blog.canoe.ca/simplerlife

I also just did an interview with a wonderful writer named Marita Dachsel. The interview is about writing and motherhood. Check it out at: www.maritadachsel.blogspot.com