first person
This Valentine’s Day, By Sheri Smith THERE’S A DISTURBING TREND I’ve noticed becoming more
And truly, a cluster of flowers picked up last minute from
fashionable over the years. I call it the scourge of the Valentine’s
the grocery story, no matter how well-intentioned, was probably
Day Grinch. You’ve probably met them — people who abhor the
haphazardly chosen. How could it not feel half-hearted and
holiday dedicated to love. They blame Hallmark, florist shops,
insincere? Because it’s difficult to express love on demand.
chocolate makers, women’s magazines and even capitalism itself. “I don’t need a holiday to tell me how to love someone,” you’ve overheard them say. Some of their points are valid. There has been increasing pressure on couples to find larger-than-life declarations of love for their partners each year on February 14th. Flowers,
Others feel left out of the festivities. Maybe romance isn’t going their way right now. There is no romantic partner, or even the prospect of one. Even worse is the feeling that your current situation isn’t exactly cruising along on the Love Boat of your dreams. For many individuals, the over-saturation of heart-shaped
chocolates and those old-fashioned greeting cards are often
everything feels like a slap in the face during this shortest,
dismissed as cliche or unsentimental.
often coldest, month of the year. But let me interject something
48 February 2021 RaisingARIZONAKids.com
