Just Because I Love You

I meant to write this on Valentines Day but we were so busy.  

My husband and I do not celebrate Valentines Day, not because I am anti-love or even really anti-valentines day.  I really like Valentines Day, I am just against what I find most people think Valentines Day is.  My kids were watching a show called "Team Umizoomi" and it was a "Valentines" episode... and I think it gave me a new perspective on this holiday.  They called it "Just Because I Love You Day".   That is what it should be.

When I was in elementary school I loved V-Day!  Making our collection bags or boxes and giving out and receiving cute valentines. I love pink, red, white, stuffed animals, chocolates and flowers.

In junior high school you could by a carnation for someone and it would be sent to them at 7th period on Valentines Day.  In seventh grade I really like this boy and was crushed when 5 girls got carnations from him in my 7th period class and I got nothing.  I didn't think he was going to get me one, but that sucked.  In 8th and 9th grade my group of friends bought each other carnations so we would not be empty handed at the end of the day.  In 8th grade I got the most flowers because my best friends brother and another long time friend (who was in 7th grade) sent me one. 

When I was almost 15-years-old I thought I was going to have my first "boyfriend" Valentines Day.  I was kind of excited... that was until I was dumped TWO days before Valentines Day.  Looking back now I still think the timing of the break-up sucked, but the break-up was definitely for the best and he probably had someone else.

The next year I just got a new boyfriend "J." on February 2nd and when Valentines Day got there I thought the stuffed monkey and the balloon kind of weird.  I mean like he felt like he had to get me something just because it was Valentines Day.  The next year I was still with  J. but he had been in trouble and was sent across the sate to Job Corps and now I can't even remember if he was around for that Feb 14th. 


The Valentines Day that I was almost 18 I was friends with Andrew.  Andrew is now my husband.  Because I was technically still with J. we didn't want to say that we were dating yet.  Andrew and I worked together and on Valentines day he told me that he had something for me in his backpack in the break room.  Chocolate covered strawberries for a friendly Valentines Day.  He figured that J was not going to get me anything, and he was right.  Shortly J and I broke up.

Both of us worked retail and I think that helped ruin Valentines Day.  All of the people who where at the store last minute because they forgot the calendar told them they need to buy something.  


Andrew and I just became a couple naturally. We could not decide when we started dating so we decided to say it was the first day we kissed, February 23.  When our one year came around it seemed pointless to celebrate the 14th and the 23rd... so the 23rd became sort of our Valentines Day.



People would get offended when I said I did not celebrate Valentines Day.  Then I would have to explain it.


This year we sort of celebrated Valentines Day. I got us chocolates to share and the kids some stuffed animals.  It was not until I saw the kids show that I had a different view.