Anti Valentine's Day - Valentine's Isn't Just for Couples

Every Valentine's Day my sister and I would wake up to candy in a heart shaped box, a cuddly bear, and other special goodies. My dad treated Valentine's Day in our household just as he did Christmas and Easter. On Christmas Santa Claus would leave us goodies overnight, on Easter the bunny would leave special treats, and on Valentine's Day we knew the thoughtful gifts of love came from Dad. Even now that I'm in my 30's and have children of my own, my dad still mails me a Valentine's Day card and a box of candy.

Valentine's Day doesn't have to be just for couples. It doesn't have to be limited to celebrating romantic love. There are many different types of love all equally important. Use Valentine's Day as a time to let everyone who is special in your life know just how much they mean to you. Let Valentine's Day be your excuse to perform random acts of kindness. This Valentine's Day don't sit back and wait for your love interest to give you a box of chocolates. Instead of thinking about what someone can do for you, use this as a day to pay it forward and do something loving for someone else. In the long run, being kind will make you feel far better than that box of chocolates ever could.

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I've heard so many people, my husband included, say they hate Valentine's Day because it was created by greeting card companies to make money. My husband isn't big on Valentine's Day because he thinks it's silly to have such high romantic expectations on just one day a year, because he feels that spouses should love and respect each other every day.

My dad taught me the true meaning of Valentine's Day. Whether Valentine's was created by greeting card companies or not is irrelevant. I believe just like Mother's Day reminds us to honor our mothers and Father's Day reminds us to honor our fathers, Valentine's Day reminds us to do as the Bible instructs and "love our neighbors."

The truth is, romantic love is over rated. Romantic love is selfish. It's all about how great and giddy we feel while the love is still new. So many marriages break up simply when the newness or romantic feelings wear off. That's not true love. True love is patient, kind, and completely non-selfish. True love thinks about what the other wants, needs, and feels instead of how that other person makes us feel and how well they're satisfying our wants and needs.

I don't think being anti Valentine's Day has to be a negative thing. I think it's a great opportunity to show how much we appreciate our family and friends. It's a great time to let that elderly neighbor know we're thinking of them or show compassion to someone who's lost their spouse.

Do something special for your kids this Valentines.

My dad always set out Valentine's goodies for us to find on Valentines morning. It was just as exciting for us as Christmas morning after Santa Claus's visit and Easter morning after the Easter Bunny's visit. In some ways Valentine's Day was even more special because we knew that the treats and gifts came from my dad.

He would give us candy, a stuffed animal, and something practical like a nightgown or clothes. It always made me feel special and reminded me of my dad's love for me.

As a grown woman, who now celebrates Valentine's Day with my husband, I still look forward to my dad's Valentine's gifts and cards that he sends me each year.

Use this Valentines to remind your children how special they are to you. You don't have to limit it to treats and goodies, you can also celebrate Valentine's Day by giving your children some quality time. If you're going out to dinner that evening with your husband, perhaps you can enjoy a fun lunch earlier that day with your kids. You'll be creating memories with them that will last a life time.

Do something special for your parents this Valentines.

Don't wait for Mother's Day and Father's Day to let your parents know how much you love and appreciate them. Use Valentine's Day as an opportunity to make them feel special.

If you don't live near your parents, then you can mail them a card. Perhaps you could send your mom flowers (think about it...it may have been years since your mom has received flowers). You could also mail your mom and dad each their favorite candy or treat.

If you live near your parents, take them out to lunch or dinner. You could even go to their house and cook them dinner. If you'd like to do something practical for them to show you care, clean out their car and fill the tank with gas. If their is a chore that is difficult for them, take care of it for them. You could got over to their house and take out their trash and mop and vacuum, for example. Any of these tokens of thoughtfulness will be greatly appreciated.

Do something special for your friends this Valentines.

Friendships are important. As a poster that was give to me by a friend states, "Friends are the spice of life." Show your friends that you value their support and fellowship.

This Valentine's Day, you could send each of your close friends a Happy Valentine's Day card or even a free e-card. You could give each of your friends a decorative box of fresh baked goodies. Perhaps you have a few close friends that don't even know one another; invite your five best friends out for lunch.

If you have friends that are single this Valentine's Day, it is that much more important that you do a little something for them. Valentines can be a very painful Holiday when you're single. Be sure to call up your single friends and wish them a Happy Valentine's or send them a card and let them know that someone is thinking of them and appreciates their companionship.

Do something special for the people who serve you and your family this Valentines.

All to often we forget the people who serve us and our family. Use Valentine's Day as an opportunity to show your appreciation.

Who might you include in this list? How about doing a little something for: your child's teacher, your preacher's wife, or even your mail carrier. Typically people who are in positions of service do not get compensated well and usually deal with a lot of complaints. Use Valentine's Day as an opportunity to show your appreciation for their years of service.

Don't forget your child's teacher

My daughter came home from school one day with a flower order form in her backpack. It was to order the traditional single carnation for your child to be delivered to them at school on Valentine's Day. However, there was something new on the order form this year. It was divided in half. One half allowed you to order a flower for your child and the other allowed you to order for your child's teacher. What a nice thought! As a former teacher myself, I of course filled out the form right away. I'm not sure how many parents will be ordering flowers for their child's teacher, but I'm sure that even if just one or two parents think to honor their child's teacher on Valentine's Day that it would make a huge impact. It feels good to know you're appreciated.

Do something special for someone else this Valentines.

There are many people that you could really help just by showing that you're thinking of them. In today's busy "me" society, so many people slip through the cracks. Giving them just a morsel of your time or a small token of thoughtfulness can mean so much to them.

Here are some ideas:

• Visit a nursing home and ask the workers which residents have no family. Read to these residents or just give them cards. Giving them even a small bit of attention will mean so much.
• Do something special for an elderly neighbor. Cook them dinner. Offer to run errands for them for the day. Seeing how your giving spirit touches their life will make you feel great.
• Visit cancer patients in your local hospital and lift their spirits. You can buy a box of the little inexpensive Valentines that children pass out at school and take them to your local hospital and hand them out to brighten the day of patients.

Instead of being anti Valentine's Day, why not use it as a time to show friends and family how much they mean to you?