The Importance of Valentine’s Day

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Valentine's DayI spend February predominately focused on a few things: chocolate, wine, scouring Amazon for the perfect last-minute gift, and hoping my husband thinks more Russell Stover and less Edible Arrangement.

I fully understand Valentine’s Day is widely regarded as a Hallmark holiday, but to me, it’s one of the most important.

It’s a holiday that’s sole purpose is showing those we love how much we care about them. The fact that love is expressed through chocolate is just an added perk.

Growing up, I lived for handpicking the most PERFECT Lisa Frank valentine. Then I spent hours (or at least an hour) scouring the wording for the one that would let my 3rd grade crush know “I totally want to hold hands with you at recess” without actually saying “I want to hold hands with you at recess.”

I walked into my classroom, palms sweaty, knees weak, minus the rest of the Eminem lyrics, and slipped that Valentine right into my crushes handmade Valentine’s box (a fabulously upcycled Kleenex box creatively disguised as an alligator) and hoped for the best. It was one step up from being mean to him at recess and one step below a handwritten “check yes or no” note.

This was my moment. My 9-year-old self was Carpe-ing the heck out of this Diem.

Returning home that day, dumping my Valentine’s haul on the dining room table, I feverishly search through the pile for the “from “John” (silently praying for a subtle xoxo “John”). I finally find it, peeking out of the bottom of the pile, my fate resting in one little square piece of flimsy cardstock, a Power Rangers valentine.

But not just ANY Power Ranger… the Pink Ranger. A sure sign that he totally wants to hold hands at recess. Beaming with excitement and an ear to ear smile, I proudly proclaim my new relationship status to my parents. To me, that feeling is what Valentine’s Day is all about.

It’s the opportunity to fill your significant other’s stomach with butterflies (or chocolate) and remind them of that 3rd-grade feeling. It’s taking the opportunity to say “hey, I love you every day, but today I am consciously going to show you just how much that is.”

Valentine’s Day is a way to say that in a world of subpar Power Rangers, you are totally a Pink Ranger. And to me, that’s a thing worth celebrating.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Valentine's Day

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Kinzy Gillespie
Kinzy is a self-proclaimed “cool mom” to 3 spirited kids: Kellan (2012), Harper (2014), and Charlotte (2019). Her husband James is a Des Moines Firefighter whose only real downfall is his wholehearted participation in “Movember.” When she’s not working diligently to answer the ten thousand questions her kids ask in a day, she can be found slamming coffee, adding things to her shopping carts online knowing full well she’ll never actually checkout, and laughing at her own jokes. She spends most of her days reminiscing about when naps were still a thing, avoiding household chores, and striving to perfect the work/life balance.

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