Valentine's Day. My First Wedding Anniversary.

I have always been a hater of Valentine's Day. The tackiness, the expense, the pressure to have a Valentine. It's just a day, who cares, and all that.

And then I got married. On Valentine's Day. And the world changed.

My world at least. And no, I don't mean I want chocolates and a dozen red roses. And I still don't know why there has to be a Valentine's Day. If it is suppose to be a time of love and showing the one you love how you feel, should it be limited to one day? Why can't everyday be Valentine's Day? Instead of your partner giving you a valentine on the day you'd most expect it, would it not mean more to get a hand written I Love You on a random day (or days) of the year?

I'm not saying that I don't get taken in by the Hallmark Holiday. I see the cutsie things in the stores. But really? All I have to do is look at the price tags, and I generally get over it pretty quick. For example, while in town a few weeks ago, Briony and I saw this at Marks & Spencers:

It's soooo cute, right? They have it on display under glass to suck you in as you walk past. Then you flip over the tin and see the price... £25?! For a couple of cookies? The next table had something that was a better deal financially, but much worse for your waistband. For the value price of only £12, you get over a pound of yummy goodness:

But the question is, who needs it? And can you picture the expression on your partners face if you wrapped it up and brought it home to them? Here, darling, I love you so much I bought you a slab of chocolate. How do you even go about eating it? With a hammer and chisel?

Am I saying that I wouldn't like a gift on Valentine's Day? What girl (or guy) would turn down a gift? They put out piles of stuffed animals in pink and red, which are cute and all, but what is a grown woman going to do with it after the holiday has passed? And roses? Crazy expensive.

 

Flowers are pretty and all. But they die. And then there is nothing left to be shown for the gift. The same with chocolates. You eat them and they are good, but then they are gone. I've always felt that if you are going to spend up to a hundred or more dollars on flowers and candy, you should just go for jewelry! Actually, I'm kidding. But something that can be used or enjoyed again, at least. And no, I don't mean a vacuum cleaner or a toaster. But if that's your line of thinking, I think you should just go for the jewlery...

I have told you what Valentine's Day does not mean to me. Let me tell you now what it does mean to me. The Valentine's part, I'm not so bothered about. The Anniversary part, it means everything. It is a celebration, a commemoration if you will, of the day I married my love, my other half, my best friend. I remember every detail of the day spent with our family and friends. Their love and support means so much to us both, and we are so grateful to have such people in our lives. Thank you to everyone that was there that day, to everyone who could not be there with us but sent us well wishes and support. And to my husband, I love you. Always And Forever.

So, what are we doing today to celebrate? Nid and I are in Sweden visiting friends. I'll fill you all in when we get home.