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Inspired by Valentine’s Day…Not
The MC in one of my books has this to say about it, “Valentine’s Day. Ugh. Corny. Mushy. Scripted.” Yes, she’s a jagged little pill, but I have to agree with her on at least one point. “Scripted”. This is the part that irks me most about Valentine’s Day.
Also that it’s an excuse for some really bad poetry…
Starting in January, you can’t escape the admonitions to tell your loved ones that you love them. Even the very young are not exempt. A typical kindergartener spends a week embellishing an empty Kleenex box to function as a card receptacle. Then another hour or so deciding whether she likes Madison enough to give her the Sleeping Beauty card, or whether she should get the somehow less desirable Snow White card. There will also be arguing about why she has to give James a card at all, since just yesterday he called her a nasty name on the playground. The answer to that last one is “Yes, you have to give him one too.” Because it’s Valentine’s Day- the day we tell people we love them, whether we feel like it or not. And even if we do feel like telling a special someone “I love you” on February 14, chances are it will come across as obligatory, rather than genuine.
Don’t get me wrong.
Love inspires me more than anything.
I’m in love with it.
Every book I’ve written is a love story.
I see no reason to stop writing about love.
But love doesn’t arrive on cue, with chocolates and flowers in hand.
Love is messy, raw, scary, funny, euphoric, inconvenient…and a thousand other things. Love is the most powerful force in the world. Celebrating it requires more than one day, one card, one dozen red roses.
So, how do you feel about Valentine’s Day? Do you enjoy writing about love?
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Rhiann Wynn-Nolet 
I wasn’t expecting this to be a funny Thursday’s Child entry but it is & I wish I’d thought of them first.
Oops! I over-edited my comment there; it was s’posed to say that your T.C. entry was filled with lots of witty quotes (… and I wish I had thought of them). Guess I need a new editor.
It’s hard to get the editing thing right, isn’t it? lol. Thanks for popping by 🙂
Perfect! EXACTLY how I feel about that Hallmark holiday. My wife and I agreed before we were even actually dating (yes, I started in the ‘friend zone’ and am glad for it) that we would honor no forced or scripted holidays or rituals, VD (heh) being prime among them.
[Sidenote to my 80’s music buddy: Your line about the day inspiring bad poetry reminded me of The Smiths’ song, Frankly Mr. Shankly. I’m playing it now. “I didn’t realize that you wrote poetry, I didn’t realize you wrote such bloody awful poetry.” ]
That is too funny-my hubby started off in the “friend zone” too, lol. Actually I think that’s why our marriage is rock solid, we’re still besties. And we have the no VD rule too, haha. I wrote some bloody awful poetry in college…
Totally agree. Valentine’s Day is a bit too predictable, when it’s the messiness that makes it fun. The surprises, not set dates. The “oh, crap” moments.
Thanks for sharing!
I’ll be looking forward to your post on how an “oh, crap” moment inspired a scene in your book 😉
LOL… not anytime soon 😉
I love this post!! I’m so glad I’m not the only one who feels this way about it. Personally, I’ve renamed it Chocolate Day, so that I can eat absurd amounts without feeling guilty. ❤
Ooo, I like the way you think!
Haha!!
This is exactly why I love you, Rhiann! Happy non-Valentine’s. 😀
Why, thank you! I’m still longing for the day your name appears on the Linky List…
Soon. I just need to get the dang book done– it gets all pouty when I cheat on it with the blog.
Valentine’s is everyday.
Never go a day without telling someone you love them. Pretty much how I feel. But when I was young and single–I despised Valentine’s Day, a day to remind me how alone I was. I longed, I imagined, and wrote, instead. 🙂
can you put a little “d” on my imagine…I need an editor in my pocket.
Pocket editor at your service 😉
I love old valentines and the mushy sentiments on them, but I agree with you, love itself is a lot deeper than empty words.
True Confession: I used to collect Victorian Valentine’s Day cards- the candy colors and over the top sentimentality in contrast with the repression of that era intrigued me.
I *love* this quote: “But love doesn’t arrive on cue, with chocolates and flowers in hand.
Love is messy, raw, scary, funny, euphoric, inconvenient…and a thousand other things. Love is the most powerful force in the world. Celebrating it requires more than one day, one card, one dozen red roses.”
I absolutely agree – and I love the messiness, rawness, hilarity and surprise of love. My husband and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, either. It’s all about the random and spontaneous over here. 🙂
Seems like we Thursday’s Children are Valentine-boycotters, eh? Maybe we need a slogan…
Wow. I had no idea how many people felt this way! My husband and I haven’t celebrated Valentines day for years, cause it’s ridiculous. We “celebrate” by buying up as many on sale chocolates as we can the day AFTER Valentines day. haha
Now THAT’s a reason to celebrate – chocolate at %75 off, lol.
I’ve always thought the way St. Valentine died is a good metaphor for love: beaten with clubs and beheaded. Just kidding 😉