By
Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine
As we prepare for Valentine’s Day we think of what our loved
one would like most. Traditionally we give candy and flowers. 47% of us give
candy. 73% percent of men send flowers and 14% of women send themselves
flowers. Then there are the 36% of us go
to dinner.
One of our most popular ways of sharing is with a card. We
purchase over a billion cards worldwide. 53% of those are bought by women. From
our earliest Valentine’s Days spent in Kindergarten or Grammar School we gave
and received cards expressing our love. This probably is our earliest memory of
the tradition and it may also be what established it in our minds and later in
our hearts.
Over the years I have read some amazing cards. I can only
guess how one could gather together in a short space such passion and emotion.
It always appeared to me someone spent time putting together words that were
exactly what I would say if I had the talent to do so. Each year Hallmark puts
out 10,000 new or redesigned cards. Someone had to put those beautiful, funny,
passionate, emotional words on paper. My hat is off to those writers. They make
what many of us feel would be an impossible task of writing beautiful prose and
presenting it to our special Valentine easy for us all.
Maybe we should send
them a card?
Despite the commercialization the $13 billion pumped into
our economy it is a very special day for many of us. We have a great
opportunity to tell that special someone how we feel. Though some of us do so
every day, the shyest among us or those who want to come forward with a new
relationship can use this day to do so. After all it is tradition and expected.
We must be sure on this special day to give our gifts and share
with our loved one our feelings we have for them. Apparently gifts play a bigger
part than we may think. 53% of women said they would end their relationship if
they didn’t receive anything for Valentine’s Day.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Write on your heart that every
day is the best day in the year.” Happy Valentine’s Day!
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