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Health & Fitness

What Valentine's Day Is Really About

There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who hate Valentine's Day, and those who love it. I love it. And here's why.

Let's face two simple truths about Valentine's Day: If you're single, you hate it. If you're with someone, you love it.

And you might think anyone who works in retail, at a flower shop, at a restaurant, or at the Post Office might hate it, too. Or someone like me, who has worked at a Hallmark store for the past 10 years of my life. 

Yes, I've been working at Hallmark since I was 16. It was my first job, and I just can't seem to give it up. But that's besides the point.

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My point is, there are two kinds of people in the world: Those who hate Valentine's Day, and those who love it. I'm one of those "love it" people. While I do sometimes find Valentine's Day annoying with all the pink stuff and hearts and cupids... I also find it to be a special day, and I'll tell you why.

To me, Valentine's Day is not about the things you get. Chocolate. Flowers. Jewelry. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a girl, so yes I do love all of those things. But that's not why I like Valentine's Day. 

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For me, Valentine's Day, along with any other holiday, is a chance to spend time with those you love. On New Year's, you spend time with your friends. On Christmas, you spend time with your family. And on Valentine's Day, it's the one holiday you're allowed to be selfish and just spend time with that one person that you love. 

That's what I love about Valentine's Day. 

If there's one thing that my dad's death has taught me so far, it's that you can't take the material things with you when you leave this world, and they aren't what matter in the end. What matters are the people around you who love and support you. That's when you know you've been successful in life. That's when you know you've achieved true happiness.

So did I get mad when my boyfriend forgot to buy me a card and flowers for our first Valentine's Day? Well, yea, sorta. I mean, come on, I've spent the last decade working part-time at a card shop... what do you expect? But I am really, truly, honestly mad about that? No. You know why? Because we spent a weekend together in St. Genevieve and I got to visit a tiger sanctuary. How awesome is that? Again, let me stress: Time spent together, alone.

Plus, he knew better the next year and got me red carnations. And this year, he did even better by getting me pink roses. See ladies? Men are trainable!

But again, I digress. My point is, it's not the flowers or the cards that I care about. It's the thoughtfulness behind those seemingly meaningless gifts that I care about. Every time I look at the roses he got me, or read the personal note he wrote in my card, I smile. Isn't that what it's all about? Making each other happy?

He doesn't need to prove to me that he loves me. He shows me that every day. But Valentine's Day gives him the chance to go above and beyond the normalcy of our everyday lives.

Instead of making some kind of chicken dish for dinner and eating it in front of the TV like we do every night, he made me steak and tilapia and we sat at the kitchen table. 

Instead of eating ice cream out of a tub, I made cupcakes for the first time in my life. And they were quite delicious, if I do say so myself.

Instead of watching episodes of How I Met Your Mother or an action flick, we watched Breaking Dawn. He probably won't like that I'm posting this on my blog for all the world to see, but oh well!

And maybe you don't have a "sweetheart" to spend Valentine's Day with. So what? Go on a date with your mom, your grandma, your best friend who also happens to be single, whoever! It doesn't matter who you spend time with, as long as you remember to show those you love that you care about them... that's all that matters.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what Valentine's Day is all about.

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