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Your family members wouldn't mind receiving some extra love and affection on Valentine's Day! |
If you're taken, Valentine's Day is in much better standing with you, but even so, many qualify it as an overrated holiday thanks to gift-giving expectations among couples. Then there are those single men and women who want nothing more than for March to hit ASAP and hardly pay attention to the stores' frantic pleas to purchase things for your significant other.
However, Valentine's Day does not need to be all about the person you are in a romantic relationship with; what about the other people around you who love and support you every day? Not to get too melodramatic, but your family and friends are probably up there on the list. We tend to think of Valentine's Day as a purely romantic holiday, and while romance is a main part of it, that's not necessarily the case. What if more of us were to view Valentine's Day as an occasion to promote love to everyone?
Truthfully, all of us are guilty of overlooking our moms, dads, and siblings, not to mention close friends, on this rather significant day at one point or another. But there is something admirable about making the effort to reach out to your immediate family on Valentine's Day.
I can recall one year when my parents and my brother went to a department store and picked out a stuffed bear. They then recorded their voices on a system that was embedded in the bear. With my parents' Persian accent blaring through the speakers as I pressed the bear's little paw, I could hear the cutest message ever: "Happy Valentine's Day, Mahsa. We love you!" It was definitely cheesy, to say the least, but it put the biggest smile on my face.
Now, I'm not saying you should run to the nearest mall and create a personalized message for everyone in your life, but reminding even two people how special they are to you wouldn't hurt. Why not take a moment to buy a pretty bouquet for your mom — single or taken; give your little sister or brother a cute card with a bunch of delicious goodies; or take your dad for some frozen yogurt? Everyone loves to hear that they are cared for, even though they don't always admit it. If you take that idea and combine it with some yummy sweets or vibrant flowers, you really can't go wrong. So go for it!
As for friends, I'm sure that you have one or two who will have to brave being a singleton on the day dedicated to love. Check out sites like despair.com, which for under $10 sells heart-shaped boxes filled with candy hearts called BitterSweets®. With messages like "Kiss a Frog" and "U Turn Me Off," your friends are bound to get a kick out of them.
You shouldn't leave your sweetheart in the dark, but don't forget the other people who could use some extra loving around this time. Whether it be your teenage niece who just got her heart broken or your grandmother who needs some extra care, do something special for the one or ones you love.
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