Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day.

There it is, right in the title . . . Happy.  The name alone is enough to send anxiety upon all of us.  This day is important and it must be “Happy”.  Valentine’s Day brings with it such . . . pressure.

First of all, with Valentine’s Day, there is the pressure to have someone significant to share the day.  This really isn’t the case with other holidays.  We can be flexible with whom we spend other days.  Think about it:  With Thanksgiving, we can just enjoy getting together with friends and/or family.  St. Patty’s Day is just about being with friends who like green or maybe with those who believe they can find some kind of Irish heritage in their background.    How about . . . Arbor Day – well, you know, this could be spent with almost anyone.  There is certainly no pre-existing hopes or dreams about how Arbor Day will go.  But, Valentine’s Day…this has to be spent with your “LOVE.” 

Pressure.

As if the pressure to have someone special isn’t enough - the flow of the day has to be special too.  This day can’t be just like any other day.  It has to be perfect.  There is no room to forget it or to place it on some reserve shelf.  It demands to be front and center and it certainly calls for all of your attention.  Messing this day up could spell disaster.

What will you plan?  Where will you go?  Do you have to have reservations?  Did you remember to make the reservations the moment the restaurant started taking them?  Did you line up a sitter for the kids early enough?  What if you have to work late on Valentine’s Day?

Pressure.

If you and your significant other have a special place that you enjoy then that is always an option . . . or is that going to seem boring this year – like you didn’t even try?

Even if the place is special to your relationship (maybe you met there) – it can’t be just average.  Basically, I’m saying that no matter how “special” it is to you both, if it has a dollar menu – It ain’t gonna cut it.

You want to be daring and adventurous and try something new, but . . . what if the place is a bust?  What if the food is bad and the service is worse?  What if all of the glowing reviews were written by the owner?  What then?  How do you rebound from that?

Pressure.

Let’s say that you answer all of the above questions.  You know just the perfect place and everything works out fine.  What gift will you give?  It can’t be practical, of course, this is Valentine’s Day.  It can’t be romantically cliché either.   No one is doing themselves a favor by giving a vacuum cleaner for Valentine’s Day…or a sweater…or a gift card.  It has to be special.

A dozen red roses?  Great idea – everyone has that idea and the florists know this.  That’s why the price of roses skyrocket around Valentine’s Day.  Come On!  What a rip.  Who says Carnations aren’t romantic.  My wallet sure gets woozy thinking about this change of custom.

Chocolate?  O sure.  No one has thought of that.  It has to be fine chocolate though.  Chocolate “Kisses” are a lie.  They don’t offer kisses . . . maybe they should be called Chocolate “Disappointments.”  As in, “My husband gave me some disappointment this Valentine’s Day.”  In fact, simple grocery store candy won’t say, “I love you.”  Grocery store candy says, “I remembered you liked chocolate on my way home from work…and I had 89 cents to spare.”

A teddy bear?  Come On.  This basically says, “Here, cuddle with this tonight.”

Don’t even think about cooking a romantic meal unless you DVR the Food Network every night.  You can’t do it.  You’ll be in way over your head.  You’ll drown.  An unsuccessful romantic meal that you made yourself says, “I’m a failure, I forgot to make reservations . . . and . . . I’d rather not be seen in public with you.”  OUCH!  Don’t go down this road.  Trust me, find a nice restaurant.

Even the card is important.  You have to find the perfect card.  It can’t be cheesy.  It can’t sound like some lame pick up line.  And above all . . . it can’t be homemade.  Nothing says you forgot - like a card written out with your daughter’s crayons.

Pressure.

This is serious business.  Valentine’s Day is more pressure than any other holiday  -  even more than the birthday of your significant other. Though that day is pretty pressure filled as well.

This reminds me . . . I should mention that my wife’s birthday is . . . well, its on Valentine’s Day.

That’s right.  Let that soak in for a minute.

Just bask in the glow of having Valentine’s Day and your wife’s birthday on the same day.

Pressure.

What is a guy to do?

I’ll tell you what I need to do . . . I gotta go.

No seriously, I need to wrap this up because I’ve still got some work to do. 

I’ve got gifts stashed around the house.  They need to be wrapped.

I’ve got to double check with the restaurant to “Double Check” that our reservation is still good.

I’ve got to finalize with our daughter’s sitter.

I’ve got to get something dry cleaned.

There is still the matter of cake, flowers, a card and . . . I can do it.  Stop laughing.  I CAN do it.

No more distractions.  I can make this happen.

Maybe I could write a song or make her something . . . focus, Jon . . . focus!

Mindy - if you read this . . . let me go ahead and apologize.  We are trying a new Russian restaurant this Valentine’s Day/Birthday.  Not sure how it will go, but . . . the reviews are good.

JJ