My Funny Valentine

All day yesterday I saw tweets and status' in abundance all about that good old day of romance, Valentines. Gifts and cards littering the news feed peppered with hostility about being single and a good old stealth boast about how their relationship is 365 days a year and not just for Valentines so they shun the day altogether. For a holiday on one day of the year it sure does divide opinion.

For me, Valentines was very low-key. I received a card from boyfriend, a card from 'my stalker' in the post (one of my oldest friends Emma) plus cards and little lovely gifts from my best friend who I affectionately dub my wife. Boyfriend played Skyrim, I cleaned and felt worse than ever with this demonic head cold that just seems to be getting worse and we just hung out. Nothing special. Our relationship is all year round, every day, small gestures here and there and the occasional big romantic touch however that's not the reason we shun the day. It is, of course, because we just can't be bothered.

I love seeing happy updates from people in relationships whether they're having a similarly low-key day or have been showered with a diamonds in a room stacked floor to ceiling with flowers. In the midst of the miserable weather with storms hitting every corner of the UK and the rest of the world - where there is devastation for animals and homes - why not celebrate love, in all its forms? I don't believe Valentine's should be limited to romantic love and feel it can spread to familial, unconditional and platonic love too and so what if you decide to do something nice for someone on that day? Does it make you a terrible person because you wait for the 14th to roll around to produce a bunch of flowers? It means nothing less. It means nothing more. It just means that person cares.

I don't think I really need to say this but I will. Just because you did nothing to celebrate Valentine's and you're in a long term committed and fully loved relationship does not mean you are better than the woman who painstakingly cooked her partner's favourite meal or the person who received an expensive engraved watch.

So while the world has been wrapped up in a cotton wool ball made of hearts and joy or misery and tears think of it another way. Think about the love you have in your life even if there's nobody next to you in bed every night. Think of the joy you bring to the people around you and the joy they bring to you. Celebrate happiness and love in all forms it takes because Valentine's is a day for lovers and even if you just love yourself you can totally take part next year.