Why I don't hate Valentine's Day

No, it’s not b/c I’m married to a thoughtful romantic (though I am). I'm going against the trendy grain of Valentine's-Day-is-idiotic for an entirely different reason. I like the concept of a day (“holiday” does seem a bit like overkill, I’ll admit) when a lot of people who might not otherwise think about “love” and all it entails, well, think about love and all it entails. It sends a good message. It's nice. 

Is Valentine’s Day commercial? Sure. (Most things are these days.) Is it overdone, overdressed, and otherwise like a Thanksgiving turkey? Definitely. Is it created by Hallmark as a ruthless profit machine? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised. But what I want to know is who really cares?! If Feb. 14th gets people doing nice things for their loved ones and spending time with them, then I can’t possibly see the harm. 

And don’t give me, “There shouldn’t have to be a designated day of the year for people to treat their spouse/partner with love; it should happen all the time.” Of course it should. Duh. And double duh. But for lots of people, it doesn’t. And I say 1 out of 365 is better than 0. 

So, all the Valentine's Day haters, hate away. But I'm going to smile and wish everyone a lovely day (even though I'll be sitting on my couch writing a paper). 

Me and my Valentine (on New Year's Eve - a holiday I do hate)