Saturday Shout-out: You remind us to love

You are a severely under-appreciated holiday.  You are annually rejected and scoffed at as a ploy either to cause us to spend money or to feel lonely.  You just can't win.

But, Valentine's, you do deserve a day.

"We should celebrate our love for each other all year," some say, arguing that you should go away.  But no one is saying about Christmas, "We should celebrate God's love for us and our love for each other everyday, not just on Christmas, so let's cancel Christmas."

We should celebrate love all year, but, like Christmas, having a day makes the mushy feeling of celebrating love and each other just so much more fun.

So, Valentine's, here's to love, and here's to you.

Thanks for giving us a day to celebrate the ones we love.  Thanks for taking full advantage of cheesy cartoon hearts, light up hearts, hearts that hang from the ceiling, hearts that pop up out of cards, hearts of all colors and sizes from all places.  Thanks especially for chalky candy conversation hearts.

Thanks for being flexible and leaving room for the singles to celebrate as well.  Some find you exclusive and say you cater only to couples, but I know better.

Last year, you visited on a Thursday, my favorite day of the week.  You even brought a most wonderful surprise: snow in Tucson!  You encouraged me to begin to love myself, really deep down to the core to appreciate the person God created when he thought me up.  Since then, I have learned to accept who I have been, love who I am, and take positive steps everyday toward who I want to be.

Single or not, I will always love you, Valentine's Day.  I will always look forward to what surprises you bring when you visit.  And I will forever appreciate your reminder to love and to give.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go buy out the last of the clearance conversation hearts.