It's that rosy time of the year again.
Shops are flooded with cutesie cards and fluffy bears.
Teens are hysterically plotting who will get a card from whom (or not from whom in my case).
Us adults let out a groan - either we feel obliged to do the token something or we boycott as a marketing ploy devised by Hallmark.
The grown up argument is that you should not have to show you love someone on just one day of the year. It should be all year round. Or the real love-a-phobes claim it's hypocritical to make a grand love gesture if the day to day of the relationship says otherwise.
I think teens have got it right. What's wrong with having one focussed day all about love?
A day when you let rip on the cheesy offerings and slushy words. Or whatever way you want to express your love. It gives you complete licence to surprise, delight or overwhelm your loved one.
The rest of the year of course we should be loved and loving but life happens. The ups downs and in betweens. It's difficult to be love-aholics when you're dealing with routine, kids, work crises and family dramas.
Since I have been with my beau I have had the best Valentine's days. Not because they were over the top or particularly expensive - but because he organised them. The first was a truly amorous gesture - he hired a Moroccan spa for us both, where they steam you massage you and then lock the door of the cute Moroccan space leaving you 'en amoureux' with champagne and exotic fruits.
The second was uber schmolzy but adorable. He told me to meet me at home where there were roses and champers. Then at 8pm the doorbell rang and a guy stood there on the doorstep with a guitar, ready to serenade us. It felt a wee bit weird having him strum away in our sitting room - especially as he only paid obscure inde tunes. It was a bit like that episode in Modern Family when Claire organised for Spandau Ballet to play at home even though her hubbie Phil wasn't even a fan. In the end they got into it. So did we. For all the freakiness the was a great moment together. Lounging on our rug with a picnic, listening to tunes, as if we were at an indoor festival, one I will cherish.
Christmas, Birthdays and Anniversaries are acceptable celebrations. No one tries to deny or cancel those. So why should we throw scorn on a Love Day?
I think people are cynical because they aren't in love. Maybe they are in a long term relationship where that buzzy feeling has gone. Or maybe they had love and lost it. Or maybe they just stopped believing in it.
Being in love is the best feeling in the world. It should be basked in like hot sun. And a whole day of it is just delicious.
So dear cynics, why don't we allow lovers to have an extra special day of romance without the tutting and muttering.
Remember love can be contagious so maybe that magic dust will rub off and you may be surprised at what Cupid has in store for you.