WOW Word-Of-the-Week #445: Valentine’s

February 14, 2013 by  

Valentinea card or gift expressing love or affection.

Did you give or receive a card or gift expressing love today on Valentine’s Day? Are there any other days during the year that you give a gift or a card that expresses your love or affection?

Since today is Valentine’s Day I felt it was a good time to revisit what I wrote three years ago. In the Calendar section ofa valentine the LA Times there was a feature titled, “UNDERRATED” & “OVERRATED” every Sunday. In “OVERRATED” they wrote, “Valentine’s Day: With apologies to jewelers, movie studios and chocolatiers who count on us showering our loved ones with gifts for this magical 24-hour period, we encourage you all to fight the hype. Honor and adore your special someones, certainly, but do the same on any given Sunday. The commercial frenzy of this day strikes us as the romantic equivalent of New Year’s Eve: amateur night.”

Well, I agree! It would be a real shame if I only had one day a year to look forward to giving or receiving a gift or card expressing love or affection. I feel very lucky because we shower each other with words of love and give cards all year long. And what I like most is that they are given when they are least suspected.

I have said in prior WOW’s that we do not give Birthday or Christmas gifts. It’s just not FUN when you have to “come up with something.” My husband wanted a new lens for his camera so he bought it and I said, “Oh great, that’s your Christmas present from me.” And I bought a sweet little emerald in Cartagena that was made into a ring and he gave me that for my birthday. Hey, what could be better? No pressure and no disappointment!

This week think about how you feel about Valentine’s Day. Is it the only day of the year that you give or receive a card or gift expressing love or affection? How about doing what the LA Times suggested? What if you created one day a week or a month as your surprise Valentine’s Day? How much effort does it really take to honor and adore your significant other?

Reader Responses

“Happy Valentine’s Day Sooz !!! It is a day that I honor our family with a card/message as to what they mean to us. It is a surprise–on Valentine’s Day ! I always give our B&B guests a special chocolate candy heart and vase of fresh flowers  to show my appreciation for them staying with us — They love it !”  – Katie

“When I was wooing my wife, we would get each other things on the spur of the moment, whether it was flowers or knick knacks or other items that could be considered romantic. If either of us went on a business trip, we would always bring some memento back for each other. When we did these little things, usually it was on the spur of the moment. After we were married, the wooing stopped, of course.  But there have been numerous times during our marriage, where I put a little uplifting note in her lunch bag, or a romantic note. We always exchange cards on our anniversaries and try to have a nice dinner or lunch out. More often than not, it is in and includes our two daughters. Today, we exchanged cards and my wife included a Starbucks gift card in the envelope. I always get her a nice floral arrangement or bouquet, but she insists on NO ROSES, because she does not like to watch them slowly fade. So, I get her colorful carnations, which last a lot longer. She prefers those to roses every day. Since I have so many books now, she does not buy me books. But occasionally she will get me a CD she knows that I like. Nowadays, the simpler the item or thought, the better. She does not like anything too fancy, and says she has too much jewelry; so I don’t get that. This weekend, we will go to Milwaukee to see my alma mater (Marquette) play the University of Pittsburgh in a college basketball game. She enjoys the games as much as I do. Afterward, we will have a nice, quiet early dinner at an old German restaurant called Mader’s. So, that is our speed at this stage in our married life, but neither of us is too fussy. The one thing my wife does want to do is go to Bermuda for our 20th wedding anniversary in three years. That was where we honeymooned. I don’t know if you have ever been to Bermuda, but it is terrific. Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours, Susan. Every best wish!” – “Warrior” Joe

 

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