Heart Day

Is there any "holiday" as stressful as Valentine's Day??? Oh yeah, you may have to deal with family issues over Thanksgiving and Christmas, but is either really filled with as much pressure as Valentine's Day?

The pressure starts in early grade school. At first, you have to give everyone in your class a valentine, even if they are smelly and you hate them. You can be a little clever and give the viler classmates the ugly valentines, but it's just not satisfying.

Later in grade school, by seceret decree or agreement, you are permitted to only give valentines to the people you like. But that means you only get valentines from the people who like you! Oh the anxiety of waiting to see how many valentines are in the crappy little construction paper heart hanging off the front of your desk.

In high school, we upped the ante from moronic little cards to carnations. The tension in the classroom would be palpable when the carnations were delivered - who would get one? Who would get a bouquet's worth? Who would get none? Who should get none, but got one that was sent as a cruel joke? As the flowers were handed out, your popularity ranking was laid bare for your classmates to see and admire or ridicule.

Even when in a relationship, Valentine's Day can be underwhelming. One of my boyfriends bought me the cute little stuffed bear I'd been coveting (without even knowing I wanted it!). Very romantic. He threw it to me from across the living room. Not so romantic.

The best Valentine's Day I ever had was when I was on my own. I was travelling in Sintra, Portugal, and had a wonderful day exploring the castles. On my way out of the first castle, a scantily clad Cupid pranced up to me and pretended to shoot me with his bow and arrow. I clutched my heart and blew him a kiss. In return, I received a rose and an escort out the gate! Silly, wackily romantic, and memorable.

These days, I prefer to spend the day in either my own company or the company of fellow singletons. It's a great excuse to eat chocolate and drink red wine, to skip the gym and watch Gilmore Girls. I'm saving the stress for Christmas.