Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of Valentine’s Day. I have always felt that it is great to have an excuse to show someone you love them. Not that you should need an excuse. But sometimes having an excuse can be helpful especially when :-

• the person is not aware you exist
• you want to do something out of the ordinary for someone who gives your life meaning
• you might want to smooth things over with a friend
• you might simply want to put a smile on someones face

What bothers me is how commercialised Valentine’s Day is becoming. And it is not just that it is commercialised but that it is really tightly segmented too. Apparently the industry thinks that Valentine’s Day is simply for “lovers” and should give chocolate, flowers and red heart shaped things!

The truth is that you do not need Valentine’s Day to show someone you love them, nor do you need cash or heart shaped things either. There are simple things that can make a huge difference to someone that take little effort and no cash. My favourites include :-

• having an unexpected cup of tea brought to me
• having a bath? run for me
• being allowed to shower on my own (have a toddler in the house!)
• finding the dishwasher already unloaded
• being given an unexpected hug or kiss
• receiving a love letter (which is what traditionally people did before mass produced feelingless cards)

What you do essentially is your choice, but Valentine’s should be anything but commercial!