Two extremes but they both have a little something to do with the expectation.
Television, movies, books, our friends...all these trustworthy sources tell us that the day of hearts and flowers is special. If someone loves us, really loves us, they'll do something on Valentine's Day to make us feel special.
Everyone knows that.
But...it's a big fat lie.
Valentine's Day this year is a Thursday. It's nothing more than another Thursday in a long line of Thursdays stretching as far as we can remember into the past and into an unknown number of future Thursdays.
What puts all the weight of expectation on a Thursday this year is that we're trained, programmed, and taught Valentine's Day is the holiday of love, of devotion, of extravagant displays of affection.
So, I have another romantic story to share with you. My ex-husband was not one for buying me things. In the entirety of our years together, he bought me one card and a couple bouquets of gas station flowers. The flowers were always attached quite obviously to arguments, not just-because-flowers. So...they meant less because of their intended peace-making skills. If you've messed up and think you can buy off any argument with flowers...Yeah, my emotions are worth more than gas station flowers that will fade as fast as you'd hoped my annoyance would.
Anyway, at some point in my next relationship, I told the guy I was seeing about the gas station flowers. I don't remember now how it came up or why but, one day, an ordinary day, he brought me a rose.
The card was simple, just a small square of white cardboard. On it, he'd written, "Happy Thursday. Love, me."
I asked him what the rose was for. It wasn't for anything. It was a Thursday rose, it's whole purpose to make me smile. I did smile and out of all the flowers I've gotten...I remember that silly rose. It still makes me smile and it's been dead for years.
Valentine's Day this year is on a Thursday. Just another Thursday in a long line of Thursday's stretching into the past and future for an undetermined number of weeks.
Don't put all your expectations on a Thursday. You'll have really good Thursdays and really bad ones. Getting depressed because, on this particular Thursday, no one made your heart patter in your chest is just as weird as getting upset on any other Thursday because no one bought you a rose.
The ones that matter, that you'll remember, will make any old Thursday special. Even if the Thursday in question isn't a Hallmark holiday.
And, well, remember the moments that mattered...not the ones that make you want to cry.
I hope your Thursday is as wonderful as you are, readers.
Happy Writing!
