After the Super Bowl fever has died down, the country is gripped in the wave of another outbreak…Valentine’s Day! The sentiments can be considered cute, naive, mainstream, mature, ignorant, but overall….very commercial! I was asked the other day why Friday, Feb 14th was not a holiday…I had to think twice before realizing the significance of Feb 14th on this young mind who genuinely believed that was the day of the school holiday…The said school holiday is not till the Monday after, for President’s Day! Cupid scored big time over the history makers.
Red is the color of love, chocolate is the flavor of the day, and flowers are the decorations of choice, as every male is expected to declare his undying love for his significant other in a manner that is supposed to convey the most romantic sentiments, even he couldn’t have imagined, but one that resides in the imagination of his loved one.
It is another matter, if the said male is not expected to recreate this expectation for the rest of the 364 days in the year. Much like the night before Christmas, the harried male species, of all ages is spotted, darting around with desperate strides, looking for the gift that says it all…now that Hallmark has made his task easier, he has to do something more than bring home a card and chocolates.
Fortunately, several, if not all, retailers cater to males just like these. Just as they had for the Super Bowl Fans, now they feverishly cater for the last minute Valentine’s shopper.
Being in a public education environment, I get to see first hand what havoc is wreaked on young minds and psyche on this day. It clearly divides the haves and the have nots, highlighting their status in a way only teenagers can. Out come the ridiculously grand looking balloons, roses, chocolates, teddy bears and all forms of heart-shaped decadence, borne proudly by the “haves” much to the sorrow and disappointment of the “have nots”.
One girl issuing copious tears was heartbroken that her boyfriend, on whom she spent $80, sent her flowers from the grocery store that cost only $3.99! So much for true love. It can be upgraded by a simple financial calculation. Feelings of self doubt and self esteem get intimately associated on these days, and lead to conclusions about self worthiness that St. Valentine probably did not intend.
All said and done, at the end of the day, most of us are guilty of indulging in at least some of the madness swirling around on this day of love. Don’t get me wrong. It is OK to express feelings of love and affection, just as much as it is OK to express other emotions. In the right place in the right way to the right audience.
Everyday is Valentine’s Day in my book. It is OK to bake cookies with hearts on them, bring your loved ones red roses and boxes of chocolate on Valentine’s Day, as long as you cherish and honor them the same way the rest of the year, and the rest of their lives. It is more important to treat people like flowers, rather than bring them flowers.
People, when treated right, blossom and retain their fragrance, long after the real flowers dry up. People, when treated right become infused with sweetness, not seen in chocolates, and endear themselves to others. People, when treated right remain the people we want to spend the rest of our lives with, not just one day of the year.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone, everyday!
Archana Asthana
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