Chocolates, romantic dinner, kisses, hugs, candlelight, cards, sugar cookies with pink frosting… yes, it’s Valentine’s Day.
What did I get for Valentine’s Day you ask? Well, it’s none of your business.
Do you remember being in grade school and counting your Valentine’s cards? Perhaps you were disappointed because you had less cards than a friend. I think it was in those early years that I realized that Valentine’s Day seems to be one big competition amongst the women of the world.
What did you do for Valentine’s Day?
Who got the most beautiful card?
Which hubby/partner is the most romantic?
He bought you a diamond bracelet?
He whisked you away to Paris?
He wrote you a song, put it on YouTube and within hours had a record contract and $100,000?
Wow. That’s a lot of pressure to put on the guys in our lives.
Ladies, we’ve got to learn to bite our tongues and stop cackling about the gifts we get from our partners. It’s not a competition and it’s certainly not about the gift… it’s about your love for one another! Don’t cheapen this day by focusing on what gift you’ve been given. Enrich the day by basking in the love that you and your soulmate have for one another!
I can confidently say that my husband loves me 24/7, every day of every month, of every year. I don’t need Valentine’s Day to coerce him to say he loves me or to demand a gift or attention. I revel in the every day. The little things… the special, tender moments that make me love him so much.
So, with that… Happy Valentine’s Day. Enjoy the time with the one you love and remember, today is about loving one another.
Disclaimer: If you are my husband and you’re reading this… this posting does not let you off the hook! *winks*
Well said x
Hmmmm, this isn’t common but I don’t think I can say I fully agree with you on this one.
There are some posts that I read where I realize the person is just bragging (such as the tweet I saw today where the person said her husband booked them a trip to Hawaii). Those are things I think you reserve to tell your closest friends, not the world. The bigger the gift/moment/surprise my husband offers me, the fewer people I share it with because it’s special and in my mind, more private.
But when I see someone say they got flowers, or chocolate I think it’s sweet and not a competition. Or even better I like when I see people say their significant others do something super unexpected and fun. I see people say it all the time even when it’s not Valentine’s and it’s still just as sweet. I try to look for the fun in it (plus I try to look for ideas on what I can do for Hubs). I remember that there’s a lot of people out there who have husbands who are away a lot (especially in our province in the oil and gas industry) and this is their way of doing something special for their wives to make up for being away a great deal. Now that may not be the case for everyone but it’s how I choose to look at it so that I can help enjoy their moment and be happy for them.
And all the people getting trips can just hush up ;)
Hmmm, I kind of disagree too. I don’t feel that people talking about their Valentine’s Day gift is competitive or problematic. I’m sure some people brag, but most women are probably just excited about the romantic gesture they received and feel special. For example, I got a Valentine and cherry chocolates (my fav!)from my very unromantic hubby!
Also, if people want to give and receive extravagant gifts I say that is their own choice; people show love in different ways. Maybe some people are really into Valentine’s Day, like how some people go crazy for Halloween or Christmas. In the end, it’s only a competition if perceived as one.
As for Valentine’s Day and gifts in general, some guys (and gals) are very loving, but are clueless when it comes to being romantic. It is just not in their natures to do or say romantic things on a regular basis. So while it shouldn’t be neccessary, it is nice to have a day to help encourage those less romantically inclined to express their love. :)
I just have to share this, I saw this on Pinterest yesterday “I’m so happy you uploaded pictures of the flowers you got at work today!” Said no one ever
:)
Thanks for your comments ladies!
@One Practical Woman and @ saspell; I never thought of it in a way that “some people may need help/ideas making romantic gestures”.
Perhaps you’re right, maybe it is “only competition if perceived as one” but I’m not the type of person to list off all gifts received on Twitter or Facebook… regardless of the holiday; whether it’s Christmas, our anniversary, my birthday or Valentine’s Day.
Thanks again for your responses. You’ve given me something more to contemplate.
True, some people share a lot of info, but that is kind of the nature of Facebook and Twitter though. Some people like to list off all sorts of details of their lives. It’s one giant conversation, and everyone has their own level of how much info is too much info. :)