Hating on Valentines Day

This morning I had to wake up at 3:30am in order to catch a 6am flight for work. On my way home the night before I had stopped to get flowers for Jeannette and Baylee, balloons for Baylee and Jaxon. Knowing I'd be leaving early my devised plan was to have everything set up on the counter and ready to be found when the fam crawled out of bed. Not wanting to wake any of them up at that ungodly hour, I slept on the couch. 

So I was surprised when my alarm went off at 3:30am to also hear Jeannette and Baylee up walking around. They couldn't see my face from on the couch because the room was so dark, but I could see them standing in the hallway. Baylee had woken up, found the balloons on the counter, and was grinning ear to ear and bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement. She came in and snuggled with me for a few minutes, but then we got up so I could give her and mommy a surprise. 

The faces lit up when I got the flowers out of the cabinet where they were hidden. Baylee carried hers around and eventually sat down in a big chair just holding and looking at them. After I had gotten ready to go I went back and picked her up. She gave me a little girl bear hug and a big wet one on the cheek, saying, "I love this day daddy!"

"Why Baylee?"

"Because it's about love."   [insert "ahhhh" here]

Point for Baylee. 

I've never really understood why people hate on Valentines Day. I get that Hallmark has hijacked it and turned it into a commercial fiasco only rivaling the Christmas season, but that shouldn't stop anyone from experiencing the day.  No one gives up wearing green, eating corn beef and drinking beer on St Patricks Day simply because of over the top Leprechaun decorated kiosks in grocery stores. All of our holidays have been smothered of their true origins and meaning, but that doesn't mean that the celebratory baby has to be thrown out with the commercialism bathwater.

Valentines Day is about love. 

If you don't want to add to Hallmark's profits then add to Crayolas by making your own card. Yes, you had better be telling your special someone that you love them all the time. But any guy who doesn't do even a little something special for his girl on this day is a complete idiot. I don't care what she tells you.  =) 

If you don't have that someone right now, then I get it. Go ahead, dress up in black and have the town crier give a loud proclamation of anti-valentines day extremist enthusiasm for all to hear. But just remember - your day will come! There will be a February 14th in your future when you aren't single. And when that day comes you had better be investing in some form of cheesy red and pink.  Trust me...you had better.  And trust me...you will.  =)

Valentines Day is about love. 

Express love to those in your life. Thank God for it.  If you're alone, ask Him for it.

But don't be a hater.  =)

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone... Genesis 2:18