Love and Other Money Making Schemes

I don’t “do” Valentine’s. Never have, doubt that I ever will. Certainly not in the traditional sense of rushing out to get something for your significant other just because it’s 14th of February. In the age of Instagram these Hallmark holidays are a great opportunity for bragging and brownie points.
“Look what I got for Valentine’s!”
“He brought me out to dinner”
“He got me this giant bouquet of flowers”

Yeah, it all smells like a get-out-of-jail-free card to me. Remember this one day and you’ll be excused until the birthday or anniversary rolls around. Top tip: propose and/or get married on Valentine’s Day and you’ll have one less date to remember. For those suffering from chronic absentmindedness (or maybe you just can’t be arsed), find someone who’s birthday conveniently falls on February 14th, December 24th or 25th or perhaps New Year.

It’s not that I have anything against showing your love an appreciation to your nearest and dearest whether it be a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates or a piles of books, whatever you and your partner in life are into. It’s the whole laziness of lumping everything onto one day, spending needless amounts of money on it, and then forgetting all about it until next year.

As gestures go, I’m much more in favour of little and often than grand and seldom. If you want to whisk me away to a tropical paradise, by all means feel free to do so, but I am equally happy with something a lot more everyday. It’s the cup of coffee that appears by your bed on your day off so you can sip in peace. It’s the opening of the bread bin and discovering your favourite loaf. It’s the folded clean clothes put away in the wardrobe. It’s the car cleared of snow and already running as you go out the front door.

It’s the little things. Lots of them. It’s the everyday gestures that I love. The fire that’s lit as I walk into the room. The “you look beautiful” as we head out the door. The “I love you” just before you fall asleep.

He did walk in the door this evening with a giant bouquet of flowers. I have made a beef and mushroom pie because the man loves pie. Not because it’s Valentine’s day, but because it’s Wednesday.