The Many Faces of Valentine's Day

I know there's only an hour left of Valentine's Day.  This post is a bit late. But it's a post I've been thinking about a lot today and just now have the time to sit down and type it out.

Valentine's Day brings out a myriad of polarizing emotions in people.  Tonight in Starbucks, I heard a divorced man loudly proclaiming his dislike for the holiday, while the middle-aged man serving him commiserated.  I've seen the posts on Facebook ranging from extreme dislike to a call to realism, to the typical red hearts, dinners out, roses and chocolate.  And I say "Yes" to all of the above.  I can relate to each position, have felt the emotions of each face of Valentine's Day, and understand the theories, thoughts, and beliefs behind each post/view.

I have been the single girl, then the single adult feeling left out and alone on Valentine's Day. Because I can remember so clearly how those days felt, I almost want to downplay my own married Valentine's Day celebration.

I have experienced dashed expectations at times as a young wife and know many married women who hurt on Valentine's Day because of the lack in their own situations. So a call to realism is accurate -- sometimes our own over-the-top, Hollywood-induced, fairy tale ideals get us into trouble and cause disappointment because the typical guy just can't live up to such unrealistic expectations. Other good blogs have addressed this issue among married women.

I have experienced and do experience the glittery, gooey, sappy, starry-eyed version of Valentine's Day.  All love and hearts and flowers and chocolates. So in love with the man of my dreams.

But I get it. I do.  I get the varied emotions of Valentine's Day. 

Now, with mama-hood, a new stage has entered.  As much as I love my man and enjoy celebrating our love, I find myself excited to share new Valentine's traditions with my daughter -- to ignite the joy and interest in her eyes as she exclaims over heart-shaped pancakes and little kiddie cut-out cartoon cards. The older I get, the more of life's stages I've traveled, the more I think back with fondness to the fun holiday childhood traditions we celebrated in my family growing up.  What fills me with joy and anticipation this Valentine's Day is the prospect of building memorable traditions with my own daughter and family, passing on the fun and the love wrapped in little paper cards and conversation candy hearts.