Valentine's Day.
How many different opinions, feelings or emotions come out of so many different people when those two words are mentioned?
It's no secret that Valentine's Day is a divisive holiday. There are those in the camp that support it as a day to express your love to your partner, and to shower them with gifts and flowers and chocolates and all sorts of goodies, not to mention extravagant dates, weddings and proposals. On the flip side, there are plenty of people of the opinion that Valentine's is an overly commercial excuse for a holiday, promoted by Hallmark and similar companies with the intent to scam as much money out of our gullible nature towards love as possible.
But who says you can't realise that Valentine's has been commercialised and celebrate it anyway? Why argue against a day on which we should show more love to people? Are people not aware that love goes beyond the relationship between a loving couple? Don't friends love each other platonically? Is there anything that stops us from performing an act of love to someone you don't even know, i.e. putting money into a vending machine for the next person to use it?
I've been on every side of this holiday over the past few years, from the 'hating single person' to the 'cutesy couple person', and I guarantee you that everyone on this planet is searching for love - not necessarily from a partner but from anyone.
If you're in a relationship, then who cares if it's Hallmark Day? Instead of buying flowers, pick one and give it to your boyfriend/girlfriend. Instead of giving them a store-bought gift, make them something. Instead of chocolate, cook them dinner. Why not celebrate love? If you're not, spend some time with your friends! Go out for drinks or play cards or just show each other you love each other by doing anything! I can't stand how some people are so afraid of love. Yeah, it hurts, but when you know you're loved, it's the best feeling in the world.
Just because it's Valentine's and I don't have much to offer, I thought I'd give a few of my favourite examples of love from movies and tv and music and whatnot:
Music: 'With or Without You' by U2 is always a favourite. Love can be great, but it also really hurts sometimes. I've always interpreted this song as exploring that idea. At the right moment, it's an incredible powerful song.
Music/TV: I love the final scenes of the last episode of Scrubs. J.D.'s expression as the scenes of his future play out in front of him is great, and (for anyone who's watched the series) J.D. loves with everything he has when he does love. He's very aware he's not perfect but he gives everything he has anyway.
TV: The Friends finale is a great moment after so much messing around. Not much needs to be said.
TV: There's no clip, but the end scenes of the first episode of How I Met Your Mother have resonated with me, and Ted's honesty in what he says to Robyn after telling her he loves her on the first date. Here's his speech below:
"You know what? I'm done being single, I'm not good at it. Look, obviously you can't tell a woman you just met that you love her, but it sucks that you can't. I'll tell you something though, if a woman, not you, just some hypothetical woman, were to bear with me through all this, I think I'd make a damn good husband, because that's the stuff I'd be good at. Stuff like making her laugh and being a good father and walking her five hypothetical dogs. Being a good kisser..."
Movie: Love Actually and Valentine's Day explore the same kind of scenes - I'm not a hater of the movie Valentine's Day and Ashton Kutcher's performance, particularly at the airport, is one of my favourite movie scenes.
I'll be the first to admit that love hurts like all hell sometimes. But it's so worth it for the moments after the pain.
I'm single this Valentine's Day, but it won't stop me from using it as an excuse to love people just that extra bit for 24 hours.
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