February 14 is a day filled with love and affection with treasured moments for many people. It is a time when couples express their love through kind acts while friends show appreciation for each other and even those who are single take the opportunity to practice self-love. Some people have valentine day memories filled with romance and surprises while others may not have any special experience yet but dream of one in the future.
I'd love to share my favorite Valentine's Day memory and my dream of a perfect future one. One of my best Valentine's day experiences happened when I was still in school. Then I wasn’t in a relationship but that didn’t stop me from having an amazing time, actually it turned out to be one of life's sweetest moments. It all started when my friends and I decided that instead of focusing on whether or not we had a romantic partner, we would celebrate the day by making each other feel special. A week before February 14th we made plans to exchange small but meaningful gifts. The idea was to write names randomly and secretly prepare something for the person whose name we've picked.
I was assigned one of my closest friends and I made a special card telling her all the reasons she's amazing and included a small box of chocolate snickers with a handwritten note inside each wrapper, reminding her of her strengths and wonderful qualities. I wanted her to feel loved and valued.
When Valentine’s day arrived we all met up and exchanged gifts. There was so much excitement and joy in the air that everyone had put so much thought into their gifts and it was emotional to see how much we cared for each other. When I received my own gift it touched my soul (that's an understatement of how I felt) My secret Valentine had created a scrapbook filled with pictures of our favorite times together and emotional notes about our friendship. It showed me that true love is found in the connections we share with others.
While I love looking back on the past Valentine days, I also look forward to experiencing a special and romantic one in the future. I imagine a day filled with love, laughter, and meaningful moments (call me delusional if you want) I wouldn’t want anything extravagant just a day that feels personal. The morning would begin with a heartfelt message from someone special not just ordinary “Happy Valentine’s Day” text, but something that is heart touching. For the day’s activity I would love to do something that brings us together like a picnic at a beautiful park, a road trip to a scenic location or even sight seeing at an aquarium or a museum. I would love sharing quality time with the one I love free from distractions.
As night falls I imagine a cozy dinner not necessarily at a fancy restaurant but somewhere with a soothing atmosphere. I love the idea of simply sitting with someone talking about life, dreams, and everything in between. To end the night a slow dance under the stars or even a simple walk holding hands would make it perfect. Love is about the little things not the big displays that is the kind of Valentine’s Day I dream off one that is heartfelt, personal, and filled with heart to heart.