In just a few hours, February 14th will turn on our calendars once again. In many parts of the world, this means it’s time to think about celebrating Valentine’s Day.
There are quite a few people who staunchly opposed to this event because they seems to believe it has been created exclusively by merchants looking to profit and therefore entice people to spend, spend, spend and spend.
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to revolve around bouquets of roses and teddy bears holding hearts. Cardboard cut-out valentine cards are often quickly forgotten, but with a little creativity and thoughtfulness, this event can be made into a celebration that our families will find memorable.
It is generally believed that Valentine’s Day is meant for romantic love, and certainly it is a nice day to take time to express your affection for that special someone, therefore it is the perfect time to instill the long-lasting strength of love within the family.
Here are few ways to make Valentine’s Day more meaningful for your family.
1. Fill a jar of sweet words.
Repurpose a jar that once held a sweet jam into a jar that holds sweet words for the family. You could have a theme for your jar, for example, “50 Reasons Why I Love Being Your Mama” or “20 Things Daddy Does That Make Me Smile.” These little love notes can be handwritten or printed out from the computer. Decorate the jar with tissue paper, magazine clippings, old calendar pages, and some decoupage.
Although this gift is presented on Valentine’s Day, it offers little words of affirmation for as long as the recipient wants to hold on to it!
2. Write an emotions book.
All of this talk about love makes an excellent jumping off point for talking about all kinds of feelings. Parents of younger children could print out a book about feelings for each family member. Filling in the pages offers valuable talk time as you get to know each other a little better by exploring feelings.
3. Celebrate in your community
Celebrating love within the family meets a tremendous need for each of us. And with our own love-tanks filled, we may be inspired to move beyond the walls of our home to bless our communities.
4. Tend to others.
Visit a home for the elderly or a hospital wing on Valentine’s Day. Take homemade Valentines with you, or bring along the supplies to make Valentines with the people you are visiting. So often, the very presence of others is more of a gift than a glittery piece of cardboard, so don’t worry too much about what you have made – just focus on connecting with others.
5. Express gratitude.
There are so many people in our communities who quietly do their jobs so that our lives are a little easier. Valentine’s Day is a great day to take homemade cookies to civil servants, librarians, police officers, fire men, members of the clergy, and others who don’t often receive the recognition they deserve.
Let’s show our children and people around us that Valentine’s Day can be about expressing gratitude, not all about what they have received.