Okay, I agree it's a Hallmark Holiday! I agree that it's commercial. But since I was a young child, I have loved Valentine's Day!
In school, valentines were handed out by the nuns and put on each child's desk while the kids were out of the classroom at recess. When we came back, there they were!
Now, far from being a romantic experience, it was just a fun experience! These magical little cheap cards were to both boys and girls, and signed usually "from your friend Sally" or "from your friend Rodney". They weren't even really your friends! It was just so fun to get these cards!
As a grown woman, I stared spending a large amount of money every year on Valentines Day. I bought them for all of my friends, my neighbors, the checkers at the corner market, the groomer at the pet store, the guy at the liquor store, my gardener, my mailman, and just about anybody else I could think of! These were my little pieces of sunshine just to spread around! Nothing made me happier on Valentines Day than to get a valentine! In my opinion, everyone should have the experience!
It can be the "I love you truly" with flowers and lace on the card, (although the mailman might take that one the wrong way!), or the "You make me smile, Valentine" message; it really doesn't matter. It's one day when I can return to the 8 year old girl sitting in a classroom feeling the joy of cards with my name on them!
