Wednesday, February 15, 2012

VALENTINE'S DAY-WAS IT ALL JUST A SHOW?

Valentine’s Day is known as a time to express love, show appreciation, and celebrate relationships. But for many, it is merely another opportunity to put on an act-an elaborate production designed to show the world that we have been chosen and that we are worthy of love. Along with the production comes the familiar pressure to receive some grand token of affection, and often, we believe that display must be made publicly to have real meaning. Somehow, the story of the “what” and the “how” becomes bigger than the intention behind the gesture. It is a story that must be shared. It is a story about how much our partner loves us.

And, in our effort to prove to our friends and family how much we are adored, we lose focus. Valentine’s Day becomes less about an intimate expression of love and more about the show. But it isn’t about the roses vs. lilies, really. It isn’t about the diamond earrings vs. the diamond engagement ring. It’s about how we interpret what those things mean to us; and in that interpretation, we might just be missing the point.

As we look back on Valentine’s Day, was it all just a show? It could very well be that our expectations for the day were based on fear; fear of how others, even ourselves, would perceive the level of love and commitment in our relationships. But when we really know where we stand in our relationships, there is nothing to show. There is nothing to prove.

-Angie G.