...Or Happy Thursday to those folks who don't observe this day.

You know I almost became one of those people that doesn't observe this day. I really hated it growing up not because of the abject commercialism of it but because of the show-offy-ness of it.

Don't understand what I mean? Well, I'll explain then, because that's what you've come to expect here.

In high school, in college, at work... since roughly 1986... I've dealt with watching other girls/women around me get presents from their valentine. Flowers, cards, candy, jewelry, you name it and I've seen it. Seriously. And we're talking every single woman who has a boyfriend or significant other of some sort. Being someone who was never lucky enough to have someone around on that day until about 15 years ago it made me wonder if I'd ever find that guy who would spoil me on Valentine's Day.

Now, after meeting DH and knowing his methodology, I don't expect flowers or such on V-Day. But still I had to deal with it in the workplace. Every woman with a significant other would parade their bouquets, candy or new jewelry around with their entitlement attitude of "Look what *I* got, oh you didn't get anything you poor thing." I even had one woman look at me and ponder aloud if I was really married, despite the pictures of my children in my office, because I never got *anything* on V-Day.

Never mind the fact that I would occasionally receive flowers from some guy two weeks later for a wedding anniversary, or that I clearly had a wedding picture of some guy in my office who looked remarkably like one of my daughters. It was disputable because I wasn't in the picture with him. And no, these women weren't out to share their happiness - it was a "Look how lucky I am" boast.

Entirely unnecessary, entirely tacky, no matter what good spirit it is in. Yes, I know some of them are trying to share the happiness of the day but they often did it in the absolute most wrong way possible. Shoving flowers into someone's face isn't the way to say "Hey, Happy Valentine's Day!" - I knew one guy who stayed out of the office on V-Day because he was allergic to roses.

I consider myself lucky this year. I work in an office filled with men who are young and single. Unattached. We hear about dates and girlfriends and there are none at the moment. So I won't have to deal with the show-offy "Lookie what my sweetie gave me" syndrome-in-droves this year. Oh sure, I'll probably see it once or twice but I can ignore it because it won't be in my face every 10 minutes making me feel down or as if I didn't "snag a prize" in my DH.

DH is a definite keeper. And the DDs are our sweethearts too, and I'll be happy to tell them that when I see them after school and work. I don't need flowers to prove that, although it's nice to get them once in a while. And I don't begrudge those who get flowers or expensive trinkets on this day...

...just don't shove them in my face under the pretense of "sharing".

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a footnote: I hadn't noticed the pretty wildflower mix DH had put on the kitchen counter for me when I posted this - gerber daisies, carnations, an orchid or two... I didn't expect the flowers so they were a wonderful surprise!