Things I don’t want for Valentine’s Day: a bouquet of roses, a box full of chocolates, a (small) piece of jewelry, and a candle-lit dinner. I don’t want those sentimental tokens of affection for a clichéd Hallmark holiday.
I want them all the time.
Call me spoiled, but I’d much rather receive, partake in or hear any of these things for no reason at all rather than solely for the reason, “It’s Valentine’s Day.” In my opinion, the holiday is counterintuitive. It’s a day for being romantic you’re obligated to partake in.
You love me because you’re obligated to say so and bought me things to prove it? No, thank you.
It’s not that I’m some bitter, pragmatic, heartless girl who hates these things. In fact, I consider myself pretty close to the epitome of hopeless romantic, and I’ve celebrated V-Day every year since middle school.
The problem is I don’t know why I’m celebrating it. I mean, of course I’ll take any excuse to spend the extra time together with my boyfriend, but I don’t expect or need anything more than that. We could spend that extra time whenever we want, not necessarily on Feb. 14.
For me, spontaneity plays a crucial role in romanticism. If my boyfriend sent me a bouquet of roses on June 3 for no apparent reason besides the fact that he felt like sending me roses, my eyes would be much more likely to glaze over than they would be if he sent them today.
And I’m sure I’m not alone. As nice as Valentine’s Day is, treating your sweetheart to romantic surprises every once in a while is sure to have better results in the long run.
So celebrate the big V-Day if you want, but remember: If you have a valentine, you have them every day — act like it.