Happy Commercialized Love Day!

I must give credit to my friend Victoria for giving me that phrase. Guys, it's that time of year again! Time to buy overpriced flowers, boxes of chocolates that you know will come back to haunt you in the form of "I'm so fat!", the cheesy balloons, the red and pink stuffed animals that will only be hurled at you if there is a break-up, and the expensive dinner that your wallet will be feeling for the next 2 months. No, I'm not single, I just don't want my guy to feel compelled to buy me flowers just because it's the end of the second week of the second month. The entire symbolism of the holiday has been grossly warped into appearances that can be purchased at street corners, drug stores, and on-line. Does giving candy really show love? No, but we are led to believe that it does by the very mentality that we have been instilled with. We are a consumer-based society. Our economy thrives on people buying stuff, throwing it away, then buying more stuff.
I love stuff too. Don't get me wrong. My mother can tell you I have so much 'junk' that it sickens her. You put me inside a Tiffany & Co store and I'm mesmerized. I love pretty dresses, especially the prom dresses. And I love chocolate and flowers. But if my boyfriend bought me these things because it was a specific day and because he felt compelled to, then it loses the sentimental value. One Christmas he got me a Killer Rabbit plush. It made me laugh and it means a lot to me because he knows me that well. Plus, it gave me something to cuddle while he was in Iraq. Another Christmas he gave me a bead bracelet he made for me. He used my favorite colors and I hardly ever take it off because the sentimental value is exponentially greater than its monetary value. Is it lame? To the outside viewer, absolutely. But I don't care.
You know what I find really sweet? The random phone call just to say he loves me. We've been together for quite a while, so there's no need to impress me anymore, but he still finds ways to make me smile and show that he's thinking of me. In fact, I told him to make it seem as if Valentine's Day doesn't exist. I told him I just want him to call me and tell me that he loves me just like he does everyday.
Valentine's Day shouldn't be about outdoing your girl's friends expectations, or other guys. It's not about the flashiest presentation of your love. It's not about how big, but rather how well you know your girl. Make it mean something. Don't let it be just another box of candy and bunch of flowers. Get creative. Go on a limb. Make it sentimental, not necessarily cheesy. Don't tell her you love her with the puppy that says "I love you". Show her and it's up to you to know her well enough to know how to do that. If she has a story to tell her friends about the item, it means more.
To all the guys out there, good luck this V-day!