Occupy Valentine's Day

‘Occupy Valentine's Day’

That was my status on Tuesday.  I am not anti-Valentine's Day.  Nor am I pro-Valentine's Day.  I would claim to be apathetic to the day but since I am writing a blog on the topic, and I’ve exchanged cards with friends, that would be somewhat contradictory.

I wrote the status mainly in the hope of amusing a few friends, but also in agreeal with Jeanette Winterson writing on The Guardian, and now in hindsight I stand by the notion due to Tuesday night’s events.

On Tuesday I wrote ‘Occupy Valentine's Day’ thinking that it’s time we took back love, and celebration of it, as our own, rather than as a commercial day.  The day seems to have evolved and warped from a day of sharing love with your partner to sharing what gifts your partner showered you with on Facebook.

Today I believe ‘Occupy Valentine's Day’ because we need to take back love as a way of acting between all people, rather than just between a couple.

I lost my phone on Tuesday night, it hasn’t been returned to me and I’m looking at a bill of about £350 to replace it.  Money I can ill afford. 

Love is many things.  On Valentine's Day love is romance and giving.  At Easter love is chocolate and new life and Jesus.  At Christmas love is food, family and home.  For me, love is always family, friendship and laughter.  

It is also honesty and integrity, not being afraid to speak your feelings to someone.  Love is sharing, turn taking, listening, remembering, it is gestures like driving safely, holding a door open to someone or acknowledging the checkout assistant in Asda, it is helping others, putting in hard work and being able to reap the rewards of that.  It is so much more than a day.

Love is also doing the right thing.  Love is handing in my bloody phone!