Valentine’s Day has become one of the most commercially marketed “holidays” in the US, ranking closely behind Christmas and Halloween (yes, I said Halloween).
However, beyond all the corruption and desire for Big Business to make money on our sentiment, there is still some underlying desire to celebrate this holiday immersed in the thought of Love.
Once you get past the imagery that emerges of heart shaped candies, chocolates and flowers, there is a true opportunity to enjoy this holiday and celebrate it in a purer nature. 
Don’t misunderstand, I LOVE Valentine’s Day and I secretly love chocolates and flowers- ok, maybe not such a secret on the chocolates. J
Yet it is not the “HOLIDAY” I love; it is the chance to have a legitimate (or fabricated) reason to openly express my feelings for those I love.
For me, it is not the DAY; it is the memories of the day and the prospects of what’s to come.
Valentine’s Day takes me back to when I was 8 years old, sitting in school with my childhood friends waiting impatiently to rip open my envelopes. I was just giddy waiting to see what my ‘secret” crush, Todd Graham had given me or if he would notice the “extra special” one I had picked for him. Then there was the 7th grade Valentine’s dance (my first dance) that I shared with my new “secret” crush, Billy Kula; (he probably has no idea of the impact he played in my life). He was such a gentleman and truly made me laugh the entire evening. When I was 14, my beautiful grandmother gave me a heart-shaped locket; that I still have to this day.
These are the kinds of moments I cherish of Valentine’s in the past.
Today, Valentine’s Day consists of reminding all my friends and family how much they are appreciated Everyday (but maybe a little extra today).
It urges me to be more attentive to those I may have lost touch with or have not given the time they so desperately need.
So, as I spend this Valentine’s Day with Trenton (a beautiful, bright-eyed, 7 yr. old), I am truly reminded of why this day is celebrated: It demands we slow down and take time for one another, that we embrace our genuine humanness and love for each other. So, tomorrow evening on my way to my “dinner and movie date”, I will be prompted to turn off my phone and leave the iPad at home. Not only am I teaching him simple Respect, I hope I am illustrating the essence of Valentine’s Day…that he is important, he is loved and he truly inspires me.
However you remember, relish or enjoy Valentine’s Day, I hope you take the time to sincerely look in the eyes of someone you care about and tell them they are important and they matter.
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