Whether you like it or not, Valentine’s Day will be here soon! I personally have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day. I don’t like that it allows retailers to get more money from consumers, by pressuring them to show their love with the right gift. We all spend way too much at Christmas, then in January, we are in financial recovery mode. But then Valentine’s Day presents us with even more expectations, this time to prove that we love someone.
Thinking about Valentine’s Day incites a hodgepodge of memories for me. As a child, I looked forward to the school parties where we exchanged Valentines with our classmates. My mom always made sure to buy us kids the good chocolate and a small gift, which is still a positive memory for me all these years later. It was a simpler time.
As a teen girl in high school, the experience was quite different. At my school, carnations were sold for one dollar. The popular girls always received at least a few, and I typically got none. Except for my senior year, when I received one from a boy who was nice, but often made fun of.
Teenagers don’t handle differences very well, and he had a lot of them. His religion, blazing red hair, and uncontrollable acne all made him stand out. I felt embarrassed that he liked me, which was amplified each time I had explain who the flower was from. In retrospect, he was a pretty cool person. But 17-year-old me cared way too much about what other people thought back then. I’ve grown as a person since then, thankfully.
And there I was in my early twenties, dating, and sometimes in relationships with men. Valentine’s Day was always a giant question mark, as I cared but pretended not to give a damn. How my love interest handled celebrating seemed more important to me then, as I searched for someone to plan my life with.
It was also during my early twenties that I took a sales job at a mall jewelry store for a few months, including working there during Valentine’s Day season. I quickly learned that men often feel great pressure from women to buy their love with nice jewelry. During holidays, especially Valentine’s Day and Christmas, it wasn’t that difficult to convince them to do so.
And now, I have kids in school. My oldest daughter is now in a different high school than I attended, but the tradition of the school selling tokens to those who wish to show their affection for others is still in place. She does not enjoy it. And my youngest daughter is finishing up elementary school this year, with her last Valentines Day Party just around the corner. For her, it’s still simple and fun, even though she no longer cares about it like she used to.
I carry on with the tradition of buying my daughters a Valentine’s Day gift along with chocolate or their favorite candy. Each year, I look forward to it as it is something special I can do for them. I no longer have any expectations for Valentine’s Day from anyone else, which is freeing. I don’t miss the pressure.  There are definitely some benefits to being older.
Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
Interested in Valentine’s Day gift ideas? Check out my recommendations here!
