Valentine's Day...Everyday?

Listen to the song "Nine Million Bicycles" by Katie Melua, and if anyone can sing it to me with a flute or whatever instrument solo occurs in the middle bit, I will love them forever! Katie Melua's voice has a classic quality to it that I like, but it's not necessary to make this song sound amazing. Just listening to the lyrics makes me want to swoon.

So this Thursday was Valentine's Day, undoubtedly the best commercialized holiday for romantically-involved high school couples everywhere. It gives us an opportunity to buy the biggest teddy bear for our girlfriends, or indulge in a long speech regarding the actual history behind the signing of love letters with "Your Valentine." I happen to fall into neither group; honestly, I didn't even realize how much the day mattered until becoming acutely aware that all this gift-giving totally brought attention to all the single people out there (a category I do happen to fall under). I don't remember there being so much display of affection last year, but that's partly because I wasn't as socially attentive. Or entirely observant, since spending most of your time in a library surrounded by Jane Austen paperbacks tends to do that to you.

It's not that I didn't find the whole day cute; it totally was. I can agree with you on that. Even though I may claim to be logically-minded and more involved in close platonic relationships, I am a total romantic at heart. Titanic, marriage proposals, and giant teddy bears make me melt. But I just never identified myself as one of those girls who's comfortable with having a boyfriend she enjoys kissing or hand-holding or doing PDA with. 

I'm the kind of person who reads weird science books and enjoys explaining them to people who ask me what they're about. Then, like any comfortable person would in a normal conversation, I'd ask them what they were doing, and we'd talk about that for a while.

Or sometimes we'd joke around. In those sort of interactions, laughing is pretty much a requirement. How could you not when someone's eraser bounces off the floor and hits them in the face? (I mean, as long as the worst it leaves behind is a tragic bruise. Laughing has its limits!) Or an unexpected turn towards storytelling reminds you of your own embarrassing moments from waaay back?

To me, those small, everyday exchanges are our valentines to each other. No giant teddy bears, engagement rings, or boxes of chocolate necessary (though they certainly are optional. I wouldn't mind that last one.). Valentine's Day as a romantic tradition is fun and can be a reminder of all the good, material things we can give each other out of love, but I think the rest of the days in between can be just as incredibly breath-taking and sob-inducing and hilarious!