Remenicky Writes - Love Stories with a Twist: Valentine's Day

It's that day again, the day devoted to hearts, flowers, chocolate, and money. Yes, money.

A romance author who doesn't celebrate Valentine's Day? Yep, that's me. I love the idea of a day for lovers but Valentine's Day has morphed into a competition: who gets the biggest/best flowers/chocolate/jewelry. It has become a day for some to dread - those who are "left out" because they don't have a significant other. There is so much pressure to give the "perfect" Valentine's Day gift that people stress over it. It has become a day of "What did you get/give for Valentine's Day"? There is so much pressure to have a valentine and expectations are so high that it's easy to be disappointed. It's become a day more about the gift than the expression of love.

Personally, I would love for it to be a day for just doing something nice for someone else. I used to be one of those hoping to get flowers delivered to me at work as a physical validation of love. But what does it really show? Just that you have the money to buy something.

I would rather have a life full of little signs of love - my husband cleaning the snow off my car or giving me time alone to work on my writing. I try to show my husband how I feel by cooking dinner occasionally (he usually does the cooking), recording his favorite shows, or just making sure he has clean socks.

Being married for twenty-two years has shown me what's important. It's not the gift - it's the love behind it and the way you show it every day.

Basically, it boils down to this: don't feel bad if you don't receive flowers or candy today - look at how love is expressed every day and strive to show someone how you feel by your actions. Your actions speak louder than any bouquet of flowers ever could.

Here are just a few ideas to show them how you feel: