When I think of Valentine’s Day, I usually think of The Notebook type of romance. I think of a boy who is hopelessly in love with a girl, who would do anything just to be with her. I think of a dozen long-stem roses. I think of beautifully written cards. I think of poems, and happy endings and a big box of chocolates.
However, as I looked out my window this morning and saw my little brother shoveling the driveway for my mom, it occurred to me that there is a little more to Valentine’s Day than the romance and the flowers. Valentine’s Day is about love of all kinds, and can be shown through sending someone a box of chocolates or doing something kind for them, whether it is big or small.
My brother is 18, and not a man of many words. But I knew when he was outside shoveling in the freezing cold at 6 A.M., when he didn’t need to be awake for another three hours, that that was his way of expressing that he loves and appreciates our mom. When she woke up to a shoveled driveway, happily surprised, I noticed that he couldn’t help but smile.
So what’s the moral of this short story? If you’re single, or even if you do have someone to spend a romantic Valentine’s Day with, it’s important to remember that you don’t need a special or fancy date to celebrate. This Valentine’s Day, I encourage you to show everyone who you care about in your life just how much they mean to you.
Twenty, Fearless & Fabulous 