Valentine's Day is over the top

'Hey mum, when is it Valentine's Day?', my almost 8 year old did ask me this morning. It was a question that did surprise me a bit because first of all he is for the moment recovering of a concussion and second of all I did kind of wonder why he wanted to know.
Stallie:' Valentine's Day? Tomorrow! Why?'
A:'Uhm, well just because I want to know.'
Stallie:'Is there someone who you want to send a card?'
A:'Well,...', and I see him thinking very hard.
By now I am already LOL in my mind and think this is a very cute mum-son moment to share on an ice cold Monday morning.
A:'Uhm,'op wie ben jij'?'
Stallie:'Dad!'
A:'And is dad also 'op jou'?'
Stallie:'You better ask your dad. (me thinking 'Jezus, you stupid woman, of course he is but he just never finds the time to say so...') But is there someone you particular like in your class?'
A looks at me like he wishes to cut this conversation short but then decides that this is perhaps the right moment to get everything into the open.
A:'Well, you know, there is the one girl (he did say a name but that is top secret and I am not going to tell anyone!) and I am sure she likes me. But the funny thing is that she does not says so but she is. I am very sure about it.'
Stallie:'Yeah,so.....would you like to send her a card?'
A:'Do we have got cards?'
Stallie:'Yes, we do and then you can try to hide it in her bookbag or ask the teacher to put it in her lessonplanner. Would you like that?'
A then gave me suspicious looks and then touched the bump on his forehead. I then decided that this was his way of telling me that this conversation had come to an end. Next he asked for a fresh band aid and wanted me to hug him.

So what is Stallie her personal opinion then about this day? In a way I do agree that Valentine's Day is just so cliché. It is so over the top and no, I don't think that one day is good enough to scream out the love you feel for a certain person or for lief in general. Stallie does not celebrate Valentine's Day. So, she does not expect 100 roses on her doorstep or even one post card in the mailbox of a secret Valentine. I have crossed that bridge. Stallie has even stopped bying cards for her other significant one because that one card won't be enough to get the message across. It won't do.

Also I do not have particular expectations. Because the sensation love in my case is something that I try to share with many. I just agree with many people out there that we tend less and lessto say it out loud. And no, Valentine's day can never make up for the moments that you had the chance to so but just let the moment pass. It is not make-up day!!!

Love is a blessing that we sometimes tend to take for granted. Love is actually the only force we have left to make it work on a grey, windy, icecold day in February when many of us need a break and seem to think that summer will never come. Love is all around of us and that is quite a mindfullness statement to make.

That copple that you might have seen kissing on the bus, that mother who was hugging her daughter at the school gate, that busy manager who bought a second muffin for his secretary (and no he does not have an affair with her), the young student who helped an elder lady across the street because it was rather icy, the copple that you saw dance some salsa and beams energy all over the dancefloor and seems to call you over, the wink you got from a construction worker, the smile of a stranger who must have noticed that you are wearing a rather colorful scarf, or what about that colleague that offered you a self baked cookie in order to get your low sugar level back up, not to mention the Thank you note you received because you took the time to help out somebody in need of some advice, or what about the smile that showed up on your strained face when you found a very nice card in you mailbox with a very special stamp on there,........ I think you get the picture. In my honest and personal opinion all acts of love.

The funny thing is that I still did buy a Valentine's gift for my other significant one but the last few years I only buy gifts that I can enjoy with him. And there for celebrate along even if he might have forgotten or just considers Valentine's day just an ordinary day. I don't take it for granted anymore the sensation called love and yes it is blessing one that we can so easily pass on in many acts even small ones.

So even if you think that Valentine's Day is only a day to boost the consumption & sale of cupcakes, chocolate, roses and perfume bottles then I still hope that you might find some love popping up. I feel very blessed on this part and am very grateful for the love that I have come across in my life and yes on the night before Valentine's Day I wish to say to all of you thank you for being such a lovely people who have perhaps unconsciously showed some unconditionaly acts of love.

Blessings are the things we take for granted.
Each holiday we notice what we see.
Most know the Earth is utterly enchanted
Yet walk through life and love mechanically.
Valuing one's gifts takes resolution
After days and nights of fantasy.
Love brings the sweet relief of absolution,
Enveloping our hesitance in need.
No touch inspires so swift a revolution,
Transforming all the hieroglyphs we read.
In your love is the charity of spring,
Nor self-obsessed nor blinded by some creed,
Embracing the grey dawns that blessings bring.