Valentine’s Day, Shmallon Times Day!

I am really not one of those people who really thinks about the holidays. They come and they go. Well,  I think about them,  but I don’t really DO anything on them.

Once upon a time, I thought every holiday was special and that everyone should always get little “happys” on each of the holidays.

Valentines, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Christmas etc.

NO,  it was not the overabundance of marketing geared toward gullible shmucks like myself.

It started when I was a kid and lived with my grandparents. Between my mom and my grandparents they made holidays special. It might have been decorations, or cookies, or a little gift of candy or even a gift basket filled with toys,  it could have been anything, big or small.

When I was super young, I knew enough to associate hearts and red with Valentine’s day, green and leprechauns with St. Pats and a bunny, eggs and a basket with Easter. Christmas was Santa and the manger set my grandparents put up every year with a paper star my grandpa made for the tree.

As I grew older I began to understand the meaning of the holidays. Christmas, of course being about Christ’s birth, not the baby doll I wanted. Hey… I was a kid and I was all about some presents. Sad…but true.

As I grew into adulthood I still thought these days were supposed to be special. BUT, I no longer lived with gram and gramps (they are now no longer living), my mom moved to another state, and I was all on my lonesome.

So, it became the boyfriends (pick a boyfriend any boyfriend) job. And NO,  I didn’t tell him,  HE SHOULD JUST KNOW! Surprisingly, said boyfriends where not as aware of these holiday traditions as I had hoped. So I had many a spoiled brat occasions (even if just in my head) thinking he was wrong and OBVIOUSLY didn’t like me or think about me because he didn’t know my lifelong need to be acknowledged on the holidays.

It also became apparent that I couldn’t actually afford to give every friend I had a gift bag on Valentines or an Easter basket every Easter. You see, even though I had my own delusions of needing to be recognized in some way on these various holiday’s, I thought everyone else should be too!

Let’s skip ahead to being married and ultimately divorced. Throughout a marriage a person hopefully learns a great deal, about themselves and life in general. Many don’t, but I think I was one of the lucky ones. I learned that just because I didn’t get roses, it didn’t mean he didn’t love me (sometimes bills come first).  I learned that an anniversary card made of macaroni is as priceless as a diamond. Well… I learned a lot of things, and frankly I am embarrassed by my behavior during some of the times these learning opportunities took place.

My whole point, is that the holidays aren’t about the stuff anymore. They mean something different to each of us. For me they are often just another day. Not because I am single and don’t have someone to share them with, but because those days are not the only days that are worth something.  

I don’t need Valentine’s day to know I am special or let someone else I care about know that they are.

SAID LIKE A TRUE SINGLE WOMEN WITH NO MAN!!! HA!

Happy Valentine’s day everybody!