Food For Thought

Remember as a kid when Valentine’s Day meant getting to pick out the best Valentine’s Day cards to give to everyone in class? For girls it meant putting an extra set of “XO’s” on the card for the cutest boy in class, and for the boys it meant getting free cupcakes and candy. Love was as simple as that. As we’ve gotten older love is anything but easy, and we would be grateful to just have to give a card that says “Be My Valentine” with a picture of a bee holding up a heart. Now it’s mandatory to give flowers, chocolates, sexy lingerie, jewelry etc. The holiday went from $1.99 to over $50.

I’d like to think I was a hopeless romantic, but I can’t help but wonder why Valentine’s Day is one of the most celebrated holidays alongside Christmas and Thanksgiving. Why do people cherish a holiday where men have to practically sell their souls to the devil? And if you don’t say “I love you” give or take five thousand times you are considered to be someone with no heart and a loner?

As kids, saying “I love you” meant giving a card with Disney characters on it, and it meant everything to get one back from that special someone. Valentine’s Day is nothing like that anymore and it seems saying “I love you” has to include a receipt. What happened to saying “I love you” every day and instead of buying a gift, making one? Now it seems Valentine’s Day is on crack with every bit of available space in the Hallmark store, Walmart, flower shops, the grocery store etc. completely covered in pink and red.

My boyfriend knows how much I hate this holiday for what it has become, but because he believes it is a romantic holiday I’ve made a deal with him. This year instead of buying flowers, chocolates, and other such gifts for each other we’ve decided to make home-made gifts. It has truly meant more to me to make the gift instead of spending hours agonizing over whether to get him a gift card or a shirt he’ll never wear. Making the gift was actually fun and I’ll know he’ll appreciate it more even if it’s a house made out of popsicle sticks (don’t worry, it’s not). So I ask readers this, think back to when you were in elementary school and what Valentine’s Day meant to you and try and bring back those simplistic ways of saying “I love you.” After all didn’t the Beatles say love is all we need? They didn’t say chocolates, jewelry, or sexy lingerie. Just good ol’ fashion love- the way it should be with a side of “Be My Valentine Charlie Brown.”

Frangelica Odell is a Pierce Arrow Columnist and can be reached at arrowreporter@gmail.com, subject line: Red.