Love is in the Air!

It’s that time again. It’s the after-the-New-Year-but-before-Valentine’s-Day in-between time that frustrates some people. Most years, it frustrates me. As soon as the Christmas seasonal items go on clearance, the aisles of all the stores fill with “seasonal” Valentine’s Day items and Hallmark cards, prompting consumers to spend money on chocolate, valentine cards, stuffed animals, perfume, or any gift that apparently will say “I love you.” Why do they start selling Valentine's Day paraphernalia so early? Why do I feel so pressured?

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I love the holiday, the happy color scheme, the message of love, the chocolate (HELLO, ladies!), the date night opportunity on Valentine’s Day, any gifts or cards that I receive, and I especially love the yearly reminder to express my feelings of love to my family and friends.

But I’m not about the commercialism surrounding Valentine’s Day. Should we have to spend money to tell someone “I love you”? I don’t think so. Is it okay to? Sure!

For as long as I can remember now, I’ve celebrated a “handmade” Valentine’s Day. I get all the benefits of this special holiday, without allowing myself to be pressured or stressed by the commercial holiday being sold everywhere I look. This allows me to actually enjoy the decorative heart theme of all the stores without needing to participate in all of that buying. Love isn’t a commodity that can be bought or sold, and I don’t want the message of love that I am spreading to look or sound cheap or cliché. 

That said: here’s the sheer glory of it all. I LOVE Valentine’s Day! I start thinking about my Valentines as soon as the New Year’s sparklers burn out. I start really thinking about my loved ones. I start pondering God's unfailing and oh-so-patient love for me. I hand-make every card I send to my friends and family, so I get started early in January, digging through all of the wonderful bits and pieces in my scrapbooking stash to find the perfect papers and ribbons to put together in all sorts of wonderful ways. 

All history and commercialism aside, the modern message of Valentine’s Day is that we truly do love each other so deeply, so truly, and we ought to share that love with our loved ones. This doesn’t have to be romantic love, although I suppose romantic love has cornered the market on Valentine’s Day. But it’s okay and wonderful to express our love for everyone, and this is how I use this special day.

Photo credit: Barclay Stockett, my awesome sister!

Sharing Valentine’s Day with my daughter has been so very fun. When she was a baby, I helped her hand-print valentines with finger paint. The next few years, she used stickers and crayons to graffiti valentines for each family member. This year is no different, although she’s added watercolors, scissors, glue, and sparkle to her repertoire. We have so much fun together! Her cards are wild and free; mine are a little tidier, maybe a little better matching in color and design, a little more planned. But she enjoys the process just as much as I do. And it's something we can do together: bonding time over sparkle, hearts, lace, and watercolors.

What about you? What do you do for Valentine’s Day? Leave us a message below and tell us how you celebrate!

Regardless of whether you make or buy your valentines, I hope that you are able to express the love in your heart for your special loved ones this year (not just on Feb. 14!). I hope that the day is more than just pressure to meet a spouse’s expectations or worry about not gifting enough, but a thoughtful time for you to intentionally speak true words of love, instead.

Do you feel alone this Valentine’s season? Are you without someone with which to share a smile and a warm word? Send me your name and mailing address at dearloveshineon@gmail.com. I’ll share a Valentine with you.

So much <3,
Courtlandt