Valentine's Day Forces Couples to Spend Time Together Even When They're Married With Kids
I used to think that Valentine's Day
was a dating person's holiday. The pricey flowers, the expensive
dinners out -- not to mention the cost of a babysitter on a holiday. The
practical side of me can't help but roll eyes at the
over-commercialization that has become February 14.
Have you seen how much college is these days?
But lately, I've realized that Valentine's Day might be exactly what our marriage needs, even if it does cost us a pretty penny to celebrate.
If you're me, and most couples out there, finding time to spend together, let alone time that's just focused on you and not your kids or the laundry or CAN YOU PLEASE EMPTY THE DISHWASHER, is pretty rare.
Being married with kids is hard, and I'm the first to admit that I have the amazing ability to pile on all sorts of seemingly important tasks on my list while my husband drops lower and lower in priority.
And I'm the celebrator in the relationship, the one who buys little gifts and cards, who brings home special desserts or balloons for no reason. So you can imagine where I fall on my husband's list as the one who often needs a nudget to buy birthday gifts, not for lack of thought per se, but because he's busy too, with work, with grad school ... WE'RE ALL DAMN BUSY.
So when a holiday like Valentine's Day comes around, one that's printed on every calendar, that you can't escape unless you hide in a bunker for the entire month of February, it's like an automatic reminder. Like when your phone pings to remind you of your dentist appointment, which you wouldn't ever remember unless you phone pinged you.
Now I'm not saying marriage is like a dentist appointment, but it can feel that way when you've been at it for so long. And it doesn't make you a bad person or a lousy spouse if you need the friendly reminder.
If you're the kind of couple who have regular date nights and a wonderful, happy marriage all the time, then chances are you don't need to go crazy at Valentine's Day because you probably go crazy a lot.
But for us, the commercialization is like a shot in the backside. A moment, whether it's a hot date out, a sexy night in, or just a sweet, romantic card with overpriced flowers, to be thankful. To look at the person you've chosen to spend your life with and appreciate everything they do and have done.
Who cares if you need some ridiculous holiday to tell you? Better that than not at all.
What do you think of Valentine's Day?
I have hated it since grade school and giving out those little valentines to all your classmates.
Too mushy...LOL
I feel that if a SO needs a holiday to say I love you, what is the point. Should be able to do it anytime of the year - dont need a holiday.
I love it because it's an intimate time of the year that we can share, just the two of us, on top of our anniversary date =). A holiday I leave exclusively for my husband and me
We love ALL the holidays even the little obscure ones hardly anyone pays attention to. We use every excuse we can to celebrate together and make eachother feel special (even on ordinary days) and to make priceless memories together. We think holidays of all kinds are fun.
YVONNE
I think it's a good excuse to have a date night with hubby. :)
When you met your dh/so?
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- Cafe Steph
on Feb. 5, 2013 at 3:34 PM