It’s almost Valentine’s Day and love is in the air.
Plenty of sweethearts will celebrate each other with everything from the small but none the less special gestures, to some very over the top declarations of love.
Dan and I will certainly be showing our appreciation for one another, but in our house, Valentine’s Day has always been about the opportunity for a more general celebration of love and appreciation for the people who are personally important to us. After all, we have all year to show our appreciation for each other, but this day has served as a reminder that setting aside time to ensure we show others how we feel about them should never be overlooked.
When the kids were little, we marked the day with what we called The Valentine’s Day Run each year; making, decorating, and delivering cupcakes to people in our community who lived alone and didn’t have a traditional Valentine to celebrate with. On a day that’s so focused on couples, it can make people without a partner feel a little forlorn and lonely, and it brought us such joy to be a part of their day.
I recently heard of the term Galentine’s Day and was delighted to find out the details surrounding it. Firstly, we have the actress Amy Poeler to thank for the idea, when she introduced it on an episode of Parks and Recreation in 2010, organizing an evening of fun and frolic for her girlfriends as they left spouses and significant others behind, making the evening all about friendship. Apparently, the episode topped the Nelson ratings, and after that, the fictional holiday was born and continues today. What an awesome idea ladies! There really is nothing better then gathering with girlfriends.
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