Valentine’s Day, two little words signifying love and relationship. Originally intended to honor a sweetheart, lover, or wife, Valentine’s Day has expanded to cover anything and everything you could vaguely ever love. This is the work of advertising agencies and their clients, the card companies, the diamond people, and anyone who might make a buck off your guilt. Yup, I said it: Guilt. “If you really loved me, you’d give me a ______” (fill the blank with such things as car, jewelry, the world)

No, I’m not being cynical. I have a degree in Commercial Art and a certificate of Floral Design to prove I know what I’m talking about. Valentine’s Day isn’t about love; it’s about buying stuff. Make sure you wrap it in red and white hearts so your intended doesn’t mistake it for one of the other greeting-card-and-gift holidays, such as Easter or Lincoln’s Birthday.

But worse than the expectation of expensive gifts from or to your loved ones is the loneliness and isolation thrust upon those with no special person to feel guilty for. People without a love relationship or for whom a relationship has faltered. People in relationships who still feel alone. People who haven’t come to terms with their introversion. People who are far away from those they love. To those people, Valentine’s Day is a slap in the face. An aspiration they can never live up to.

Why let some damn note card tell you how to feel? If you are in the position to love someone and wish to celebrate with them, then do so. If you don’t, skip it. I’m not saying to boycott or get angry, just let it pass. Keep the love but skip the hysteria. Skip the Valentine’s exploitation 2016.

You can always rejoin next year if you feel differently about it then.

(I included this cranberry heart because I like cranberries and thought it was cute)