Happy Valentine's Day and Don't be a Pissy Pants

Valentine's Day...oh that merciless holiday designed by Hallmark to make every relationship feel as if it is measuring up against some impossible standard. A day that is so swiftly fleeting that you hardly have time to appreciate it or hate it.

So in the past I have loathed this day with an unceasing amount of hatred and disrespect. Yes...a large portion was because I was unhappy and alone. And then I realized last night that my past had a large responsibility to the happiness level on this particular day. I measured my current happiness with myself versus happiness not found as a teen on this particular day.

Allow me to elaborate. High school is so bittersweet. If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend then Valentine's Day is about sending flowers and/or balloons to school to announce to the world that you "love" your honey bear. But there is a wealth of us that didn't have that so each Valentine's Day was a reminder that we didn't have that special someone in our lives. It sucked big time to be the girl that never got flowers unless her parents sent them.

So I became the typically bitter female cursing this "holiday" with winged cupids flying about. I made the jokes about Valentine's Day sharing the same initials as a sexually transmitted disease (VD). I let my bitterness overtake me on what could be a day to celebrate love. And that is love in all forms.

I realized yesterday that my incessant anxiety about flowers stems from high school and being alone. And then I realized, "Hey...that person isn't you and she was ignorant. Let it go." So I did.

Last night I was meditating and reflecting on what Valentine's Day means to me as a parent, a child, a sibling and a wife. It is indeed a day to let them all know I love them but I've made it a point to try to tell them I love them more often. No...I don't need February 14th to tell me that. I also don't need to be "THAT" person who poo poo's love to everyone else with angry posts because I'm alone.

Even when I was single...I wasn't alone. Sure I didn't get the flowers but I had friends that told me I was loved. My parents told my I was loved. That's pretty damn awesome. Eight years ago my bestest friend gave birth to another reason to celebrate Valentine's Day by embracing the love that is found in the most simple of things.

I'll admit that I did get some lovely flowers. I received a card. I'm going to be treated to a home cooked meal tonight. But it is more than that and it should be more than that for you. If you find yourself lamenting how love sucks, Valentine's Day is a rip off and a fake holiday most people have no clue about the origins...stop being a pissy pants. Let people be what they want to be, love how they want to love and celebrate this day how they want to celebrate it. Instead of being angry try looking around and counting your blessings rather than wallowing in the things you don't have.

You are loved. You love others. You are alive. You have family. You have friends. You have an entire world of possibilities just waiting for you to reach out and grab. So what if you don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse. You have you and loving yourself is the most important lesson each of us has to learn.

So when you find yourself depressed today, allow it to come into your mind and then kick it straight out because you aren't that bad off. Don't rain on other's parades and instead create your own rainbow.

And yes I realize that is hard but I have faith in you. I love you!

(I also realized I never finished up my life lessons but that is for another day!)