As kids, we decorated brown paper bags and brought candy for our classmates. You were cool if you brought the holographic cards with reflective puppies or hearts on them with a sucker attached to them. Giving double the candy or cards to your crushes and best friends.

I would make hearts out of colored paper and make them spring off my brown back. I didn’t decorate with pink much. I would trade all the chocolate for harder candies like suckers or jolly ranchers.

Valentine’s Day is a good way for kids to learn how to express feelings and appreciation for others, even ones they aren’t close with. It is nice to share candy and come together as a class.

Kids write love letters to the parents or thank you notes to classmates and it’s just a good way for them to learn how to show admiration towards others. It doesn’t hurt for them to practice cursive too.

Valentine’s Day is commercialized for flower shops, candy stores, fancy restaurants, and card stores. You need to be spreading love to the ones closest to you and not just on a day that everyone chooses to.

Wouldn’t it be better to get your significant flowers as a surprise on a Monday? When they are having the Monday blues and need something to give them joy at the start of the week.

I think love that is spontaneous is the best kind of love. I don’t want someone to wait for one day of the year to express their feelings and make something thoughtful for me. I make sure to keep my significant other on his toes and surprise him with love letters on random days.

With that being said, Valentine’s Day isn’t a horrible holiday. It could be motivation for you to tell the guy or girl you like how you feel. Valentine’s Day could take pressure off of you, because it wouldn’t be so surprising if you gave someone a love letter. It could motivate you to finally ask someone out because there could be competition on this day.

The best part about Valentine’s Day is the sales on candy and all the sappy romance movies. It gives me an excuse to sit in my pajamas, eat candy, and cry at love scenes. I might even get my boyfriend to watch one with me this year.

Don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to show your affection to others. Do it daily. Plan surprises and dates randomly or when you know they are having a stressful or hard time and need something to lift their spirits.