"Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards."- taken from the Wikipedia page for Valentine's Day

I feel like since i have met Justin, Valentines day has much more meaning. I never really cared either way, don't get me wrong, i love holidays. The hype leading up to it, the fun of having those little parties in school and getting to make cute projects. Sometimes places get closed down for certain holidays, which i love, cause that means the possibility of time off...haha. well, anyway. I have always loved holidays, but now i feel like i am understanding the meanings more, and i know you shouldn't need a holiday to tell you to be nice to someone, or to show appreciation, you should be doing that everyday. It gets rough, living in this economy. Working so much, getting caught up in the stress and anxiety of a grown up life, you can lose yourself in it. Sometimes it takes a holiday to remind us of our true selves, of a time when it was not so tough, and to give us the opportunity to let go of all that and just focus on what matters. You only live once, and it doesn't last forever. I like to take whatever chances i can, to show people that i love them, and appreciate all they do for me. Valentine's day is one of those chances we are given. I hate to hear people complaining about how "this holiday or that holiday is stupid". Those people just don't get it. You don't have to buy into the cards-candy-flowers-linger
..ie crap to celebrate valentines day, or any of the other crap associated with the other holidays. take these holidays as a chance to celebrate life, and its ups and downs. I know that most of our days of celebration are not revered globally, each people has their own thing. I am only expressing my feelings on the matter, and what it means to me.