Valentines

It’s garbage day, and a lucky coincidence that today is also the day after Valentine’s Day. There is so much I need to trash following most holidays. I might need to borrow my friend’s truck for an additional dump run today! 

Away with this week’s leftovers, I’m sending  the scraps of the idea that any of this is important. I know that Valentine’s Day makes some happy, others stressed out and sad, but it doesn’t have to. 

The truth is, the better we are at communicating who we are, and the better we know ourselves, the better holidays are all-around. Whether we happen to be saddled with a Valentine or are running free this holiday, the people who enjoy it the most are the ones who know how to celebrate themselves. 

Happiness doesn’t come from sale roses or in a heart-shaped candy box, it comes from feeling seen and loved. 

In my world, it’s really easy to have great holidays, especially now that I’m single. Narcissists love to ruin holidays, and my ex was the best at that. So much so that I’d given up on holidays for the most part, other than to participate for the kids. 

The truth is that I treat every day like a holiday, and the fun is that some days we wear red, wear green, wear bunny ears or gather the family for a meal. It’s supposed to be fun. 

Soooooooo, have fun. Heart-shaped glasses are staying, but the idea that relationships make Valentine’s Day better will have to go. If you’re lucky, you know yourself well enough to celebrate love in a way that feels good to you, and if you don’t, I hope half-price chocolate helps a bit. 

I had a fantastic holiday, felt grateful for my beautiful life, fantastic job, wonderful kids and weird dogs. I’m going to have a great day today, too, because loneliness doesn’t come from someone else (real or imagined), it lives within us, and it’s just a lack of communication between our minds and our souls regarding our needs and wants. 

Find what makes you happy, and you will never feel lonely again. This Valentine’s Day garbage day I’m sending away the idea that love comes from outside of us, that happiness can be gifted, and that holidays exist without buy-in. 

Whether you were happily coupled, alone, or with a holiday ruiner this V day, I hope you enjoyed a celebration of love and didn’t get too sad if you were missing someone special. 

I leave you with this Valentine bathroom selfie, and a photo of my kids from dinner last night. All of the nonsense about needing to be completed can go right in the trash. You complete you. We know how to make ourselves happy, and under the best circumstances, we learn to communicate this to ourselves and/or others. There’s probably no secret to Valentine’s Day happiness, but if there is it’s just a house of mirrors, a worn-out
joke book, and 50% off chocolate in the morning.  

OnGarbageDay.com