Touchy Topic Tuesday
Valentines Day, and Other Holidays- The Bitterness That Follows.
I LOVE VALENTINES DAY!!! And isn't that all it's about? LOVE??? LOVE!!!! On top of that, I love St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, the Fourth of July, and so on- and all the ones I missed. All t he little holidays, like President's day, when my kids have the day off of school. Heck, I even love end of term holidays that only have to do with school. I LOVE holidays in all their forms.
I feel like Holidays break up the monotony of every day life. Today is Valentine's day. And for weeks, I have helped my kids create beautiful boxes to collect their valentines in. I have helped them write names on cards, and seal envelopes, and stuff them full of candy! Today, I curled Scarlet's hair, and sent Lilly to school with a lovely updo- something I don't usually MAKE time for before I send her off for a day of recess and other hair-destroying events. After today, we will settle back into our daily routine, until we're able to attend, very festively, the St. Patrick's Day parade, and after that, Easter, where we will happily, and joyfully both revel in our Savior's sacrifice and resurrection AS WELL AS have thrilling and wonderful Pagan inspired Easter Egg Hunts with our kids. The holidays give us something to look forward to!
And over the past weeks, I have seen an increasing bitterness about today's specific holiday. And it's NOT been from single people.
Believe it or not, though, today's controversial discussion ISN'T about Valentines day. It's about ALL holidays. For the last few weeks, several bitter individuals have spouted cynical quotes (on facebook) about how we shouldn't NEED one day out of the year to tell the people we love that we love them. In a few months, the same people will start making bitter accusations about Mother's day, and how we shouldn't need a holiday to tell our mother's that we appreciate their efforts. Then will come Father's Day. And at the end of the year, they will both complain that Thanksgiving doesn't get it's fair attention and is overshaddowed by Christmas, as well as how we shouldn't NEED a specific day to be thankful- because we should be thankful EVERY day.
Along with all of this cynical, bitter complaining, there will be endless tirades about how overly commercialized it all is.
This really gets under my skin. EVERYONE KNOWS ALREADY that Christmas is over commercialized. And who the heck cares? If YOU don't want your Christmas to be commercialized, then don't buy your kid presents. Personally, I LOVE buying gifts. And I overdo it with my kids. But that doesn't mean that my holiday (whatever holiday it might be) is ONLY about gifts.
Issues I have with this:
1. It's really just plain STUPID and utterly IGNORANT to think that people ACTUALLY think that a holiday, such as Valentine's Day, or Mother's Day, Father's Day or Thanksgiving is the ONLY day people tell their "valentine" that they love them, or their mother or father, or that they are thankful for all the blessings they have. I can see that in some cases, this may be true, but the MAJORITY of the BILLIONS of people on this planet to NOT ONLY say "Mom, I love you" on Mother's day. I'm 100% sure that the MAJORITY of people are thankful on a regular basis for their blessings. And the truth is, AS HUMANS, YES, the "natural" state of man is to be selfish, and we forget easily once our worries are settled. A reminder is nice. Not to mention, these specific people who are regularly and continually pessimistic about these wonderful reasons for celebrations will complain complain complain about having to buy their wife or children gifts....but how would they ACTUALLY feel if on THEIR day (Fathers/Mothers day) their children didn't do anything...because they shouldn't need a reason to. In MY mind, this is a cop out- yeah, you don't NEED a reason to do it...but here you HAVE a reason to do it. It's not courteous to ignore it. What THAT says isn't that you feel you need to appreciate people every day- but that you don't appreciate them today.
2. Commercialism, like it or not, is GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY. Will it KILL you to buy a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates for the one you love for 15.00, because that's "normal", "traditional" and "expected"? Rebel because you have to prove you can't be controlled by the scum that is America, or make someone smile and boost the economy as well. Your choice.
3. As Batman's great nemesis says so often "Why so serious?"- Seriously, though- GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE. Celebrate! Because it's FUN. Because it makes life worth living! Because it makes those around you happier when YOU are happier, and because it's a battle you can't win. There are far more important things to rage against. Focus your bitterness on something you CAN change- that's WORTH changing.
Now, I'll go ahead and admit that my delight in the commercialism of EVERYTHING probably has a lot to do with my love language- gifts.
Those of you who don't know about love languages will probably think that sheds a terrible light on me- that I'm worldly, and shallow and just want STUFF. I'll say this flat out: YOU ARE WRONG. My love language isn't about STUFF. It's not about money. My husband will sometimes bring me a handful of creamers (half and half) from restaurants he goes to for lunch- I LOVE creamers. But I don't drink coffee, and I don't buy them. They're also incredibly fattening. It didn't cost him much - if anything, and it's not a "worldly" thing. But it shows that he loves me because he knows what I like, what I have talked about, what I have DONE. He pays attention. (BTW, for Valentines day this year, he got me a pair of TOMS!!! It's something I've wanted for a long time, but wouldn't EVER buy for myself- because I always put everyone else's needs first. AND a massage, which isn't JUST a luxury- I really NEED one. Deep tissue. I got him a "Lex Luthor for President" t-shirt. Because he loves Lex. And he has joked about writing him in. LOL. See? It's about noticing the little things.)
I buy my children things when I REALLY want to show them love. (Not that there is ANY lack of hugs and kisses and snuggles or verbal "I love you"'s, but, once again, because it's my love LANGUAGE.) I take great pride in knowing that so-and-so will love THIS thing. That pink is so-and-so's favorite color, and so-and-so has been talking about this book for AGES. It's about details. It's about paying attention.
So, I'm a bit biased. But gifts and all aside (no gifts on St. Patty's Day, the Fourth of July, or Thanksgiving)- I still love holidays!!!
SO QUIT BRINGING PEOPLE'S SPIRITS DOWN WITH YOUR BITTERNESS AND PESSIMISM! Enjoy a holiday, for crying out loud!
*****************
Let us know. What do YOU think about holidays? Commercialism? Etc? PLEASE, tell us!
Like my blog? Please vote for me by clicking the button for Top Mommy Blogs! Thanks!
.jpg)
