Hearts & Flowers & Crap

I hate Valentine's Day. I know now that I'm married I'm supposed to revel in the day that celebrates love, but who are we trying to kid? I think what the day is really about is separating the single people from the couples and then trying to further divide the couples into who is REALLY loved and who isn't.

Remember when you were single? (For some of you dealing with expiration dates, this isn't much of a stretch. For others, you may pull something trying to remember.) Remember the stages you went through with THE day? Anger, frustration, sadness, and then just resignation. It came, it went, you were mostly unscathed. Then you had 10+ months of freedom until the process started over again with Christmas. It seemed as though the entire world was geared towards couples, and if you were a singleton -- well, fuck you.

I'm sorry, but I think that sucks. Being single is hard enough, why have a whole day celebrating couples? And people in love? And people pretending to be in love because a day on the calendars says it is so.

"Awww, it's Valentine's Day -- time to get the flowers and the heart shaped cards and the fuzzy wuzzy bears and the big boxes of chocolates and crap. Why can't you just lighten up, Heather?"

Because, I think it sucks. I mean, sure -- I'm a hypocrite (and I admit it, do you get that from the other bloggers out there?), we're doing lovey stuff. We're getting massages and going to a nice dinner and someone's probably going to get lucky. But, I feel almost wrong for doing it. Because the fact is that I don't really like all the hype that goes into the day, all the emphasis that is placed on its importance. And how if nothing happens -- that means even more!

Ladies, do you really think that your normally lackadaisical man is suddenly going to step up and do all kinds of crazy romantic stuff just because a day on the calendar SAYS he should?? And if he does, so what? A day on the calendar SAID he should. Yes, I'm materialistic -- I want jewelry and flowers and heart shaped cards and shit, but I don't want that because you feel the need to give me some guilty evidence of your love for me. I would really much rather have you show me that you love me every day in little ways that mean something to me (and won't take up space on my counter or in my jewelry box) than buy me flowers because a day on the calendar SAYS you should. I don't get it. What does that mean to me? You bought me stuff one day, but make me carry out the trash the other 364?

Anyways -- this is my rant. I'm not saying don't go out and do the lovey stuff, but do it the rest of the year too. And be kind to your single friends on Valentine's Day -- if they're anything like me, they feel like they have a big giant "S" on the foreheads for the whole day. (Okay, poor analogy because Superman had that too, but you see where I'm going...)