For us, today is like any other day. I'll not make the bed, i'll moan about either ebay, the snow, the temperature - or all of them several times, play with the kitties and then we'll be having a pizza take out. Not because it's valentines but because Friday is always date night around ours. We won't be swapping cards, buying gifts, or even pronouncing and wishing each other a happy valentines.
You may call us cynical, but we're not. Managing a long distance relation for two years yet alone all the paperwork (lets not think of all the fees we paid) to be together, living in the same country and both wanting it, I don't need to another card to remind me. We have our anniversaries, our weekly date night, tickle fights, Joe driving me around estate sales every week, believing in me every day - I know that he loves me.
Joe influences and helps me grow as a person daily - hell before him I'd never even read a comic, ate mac n cheese, liked hot dogs or ice cream, I turned my nose up at science books, Star Trek and probably would have given up blogging years ago.
Yes I'm one of those cynical people that believe love should be shared and spoke of daily - it's shared through the little things, not because Hallmark, retail store or media outlet yet alone blogger is telling you so.
So today might be February the 14th, but it's pizza day and Joe has the day off as a long weekend with Monday being some national holiday - Presidents Day I believe, and that's my kind of day. Actually take today to be reminded of the real history behind Valentine's Day - a day celebrated in many Christian denominations in remembrance of the Valentine martyrs of Rome (typically between AD 95 - AD 500) - with no romantic link to it's origins until the 14th century with Chaucer's "Valentines" poetry - were the sacrifice of the martyrs was sadly and still nearly always remains forgotten. Fast forward to 1797 and the British went full steam ahead into the mass, commercialised Valentines giving of cards.
If you want a blast from the past - here's my ways of how we copied in a long distance relationship.
How will you be spending your February the 14th?
So today might be February the 14th, but it's pizza day and Joe has the day off as a long weekend with Monday being some national holiday - Presidents Day I believe, and that's my kind of day. Actually take today to be reminded of the real history behind Valentine's Day - a day celebrated in many Christian denominations in remembrance of the Valentine martyrs of Rome (typically between AD 95 - AD 500) - with no romantic link to it's origins until the 14th century with Chaucer's "Valentines" poetry - were the sacrifice of the martyrs was sadly and still nearly always remains forgotten. Fast forward to 1797 and the British went full steam ahead into the mass, commercialised Valentines giving of cards.
If you want a blast from the past - here's my ways of how we copied in a long distance relationship.
How will you be spending your February the 14th?
As you know I'm not one for Valentine's Day either. I'd much rather have cute little date nights regularly than focus on one day in the entire year. Plus, love isn't about flowers or chocolates, it's about the little things like knowing the other half will take the dog out tonight because it's raining and me having dinner ready for him when he gets home. It isn't the big gestures that are important in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteDebi x
That's what i'm talking about, give me a year full of little gestures (taking the trash out being a biggie lol) than a huge bunch of flowers and a soppy card. Date nights are a lot of fun aren't they? We try and do one weekly although they do revolve around take outs haha.
DeleteI'll be doing basically what I always do as well. Having a nice dinner and a movie with family. Only difference being that I'm making a fun dessert, which I haven't done much lately with trying to cut back on sugar and all! It is a funny thing...I like any excuse to celebrate and be kind, but I hate seeing how stores capitalize on holidays with overpriced goods knowing unimaginative people are going to buy it because they're being told that's what they're supposed to do.
ReplyDeleteTarget was putting out the Easter cards as soon as the Valentines were coming down, things like that make me really cynical (although I would never turn out Easter chocolate admittedly!)
DeleteYour evening together sounds absolutely perfect! And your post echoes thoughts I've had for years.
ReplyDeleteHow did I celebrate? My husband drove me to my Norwegian instructor's home for our class party. Then he came home and ate a few of his favorite Norwegian food choices (which aren't in my top 10 or even top 100 list) and watched a movie I'm not really interested in, while I spent time with classmates from around the world, practicing our Norwegian and eating food we prepared from our own countries. He picked me up three hours later.
We spend so much time together, "celebrating" a forced holiday and missing other opportunities would have been a stupid decision. Love is shown daily in so many other ways ... as your post so eloquently expresses.
It's February 15th - Happy Discount Chocolate Day! :)
Oh yeah the discount chocolate - that's one of the good things about the days after Halloween too haha! Your night sounds like ours, we each do our own thing in the same room, watch the same tv and talk. It's that level of comfortableness with each other which to me is so important.
DeleteHere, Here! We are completely the same. Although Kris did utter a happy Valentines day and I did return the favour ;) Aside from that it was Friday... a bog standard Friday. We've had more fun today :)
ReplyDeleteAlso I checked back at your LDR advice and I love your thinking, so realistic which is key to any LDR
~ K
Yeah although I don't miss those LDR days but they certainly made us strong and I really don't know how we did it at times.
DeleteAgreed! Love is for every day not just one day a year. It sounds like all your patience and hard work was worth it :) x
ReplyDeleteThank you - it did pay off in the end :)
DeleteWe don't normally celebrate in the traditional sense, but get each other a silly card and a little present just because it's nice. No pressure to get expensive things, just a I was thinking about you kind of thing. I think every day you should celebrate your relationship, but sometimes it's nice to take some time out and appreciate it and do something a little special too.
ReplyDelete