It’s that time of year again where some people feel butterflies in their stomachs; others may experience diarrhea on all the days leading up to February 14th. Really, what’s up with this day? It’s long been idolized as the day where people are required to show tremendous love and affection to their loves ones. More so, those who luckily (or unluckily) happen to be in a romantic relationship.
For many men it often means having to be broke from mid February till the end of the month; for women it can mean determining how angry they get to be at their significant other as they impatiently tap their feet with high expectations. God forbid, you did something wrong last October and you get the wrong gift for your love on Valentine’s Day. Boy are you going to get it! And that “it” surely wouldn’t be the one you may be hoping to get! With all this said, what’s the real meaning of Valentine’s Day?
The perceived meaning of Valentine’s Day
There sure seems to be lots of disappointment and anger due to the failure to meet someone’s expectations on a day that is supposed to be all about love. So you get annoyed with someone because you felt they didn’t make you feel special enough. You withhold your “kiwi” so it doesn’t touch their “eggplant” with the hope of punishing your lover for taking you for granted, all in the name of love. Yes, you love that person so much that you’re willing to deprive them of “love”. Because YOU found they didn’t make YOU feel special enough. Are you getting it?
Rethink the meaning of Valentine’s Day
It’s not even about all the years of talk about Valentine’s Day potentially being pagan. Nor is it about Valentine’s Day being commercialized as this can be true based on how you look on it. But what is certainly not true is the idea that how someone treats you on Valentine’s Day is an indicator of how much that person truly cares about you.
So many real-life horror stories I have heard around Valentine’s Day. Men panicking, afraid to go home without getting a valuable gift for their wives; and women who are afraid they may not get the right Victoria Secret underwear in time for the big night. Well, are you ready for this?
If you are afraid to go home to your wife empty-handed on Valentine’s Day then it may be time to step aside and let another man impress “your woman”. And if you need a special panty to impress your husband on Valentine’s Day then to save that marriage you just might have to turn your kiwi into a plum.
What does it glorify?
It may sound hilarious but the reality isn’t that funny. People continue to place so much focus on Valentine’s Day yet many have no clue about the history of it. What people really need to do is start being honest with themselves right here in the present. What is the real purpose of Valentine’s Day? Will celebrating it or not celebrating it make a significant difference in your life? How does it make you or someone you love a better person? Does it glorify your faith or help you become closer to God?
Some people may even say, what does any of the above matter? Why does everything need a point? The point is that there’s a difference between compromise and letting someone force their beliefs onto you. Not because you are supposed to be supportive of your loved one means you have to feel as though you are “loving” them out of spite.
Valentine’s Day is not the real issue
It’s quite easy to think that by “compromising” for one day of the year even when you don’t want to is an act of showing sincerest appreciation. But what if it wasn’t about celebrating Valentine’s Day? What if the only way to please your loved one was to do something horrible to another person on a specific day each year? Would you do it? As the saying goes if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.
A lot of people fall for the negative consequences of celebrating Valentine’s Day; they become a slave to a day that can take more out of someone than it gives. Celebrating Valentine’s Day is not the real issue. People consistently expecting too much or more than they are willing to give on a specific day is.
Just another day
It’s about time more people accept that Valentine’s Day, just like New Year’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Boxing Day, is really nothing special. You can celebrate your love for someone at any point without letting a date dictate how you do it.
If you spend all year, waiting on a day to tell you how you should feel and compare your feelings with that of others then you may need to check yourself. Again, Valentine’s Day is nothing special. As for its meaning, it means only as much as you expect it to mean.
