What About Love?

I'm sure some of you are thinking I'm a sap, so of course I'll be needing to post a Valentine's blog about all the wonders that surround the holiday. However, as I am tragically single (or thankfully, depending on your point of view), I have decided to instead share with you some helpful tips for planning around the holiday for different sorts and share some tips for what to do and what not to do.

Here's how you plan the perfect unconventional and therefore ideal Valentine's date if you happen to be in a relationship.

• DO NOT go to a restaurant the weekend surrounding or the day of. Waiting around outside is not ideal in anyone's mind and this is indeed quite unoriginal.
• DO NOT go see a movie. This is for people who don't actually have anything to say to each other. It's good for a first date, perhaps, to avoid awkwardness, but for V-Day you need to try a little harder to converse with this person. After all, if you're in a relationship, you must enjoy conversing with this person!
• DO NOT buy flowers. They're expensive, and they die rapidly. Unless you want this as a sign of your relationship, I suggest you try Hobby Lobby and get some silk flowers which are significantly cheaper and also last much longer (unless you're like me and you take the flowers off the rods that are supporting them and move them to a vase for decoration and then your sister tells you you're the only person she's ever know to actually allow fake flowers to wilt).
• DO NOT buy jewelry. I'm sure you're scratching your head at this one. "All girls want jewelry as gifts!" False. If you're going to buy jewelry, it should be a random gift not given for a specific holiday. That's how you know thought was put into it rather than..."Oh, I suppose I should get something for the lady I'm dating. Perhaps I'll join the ranks of the other thoughtless men this year and flock to the nearest jewelry store because expensive gifts equal thoughtful gifts." This is not true.
• DO put thought into your gift. I think this is pretty obvious. I think my "favorite" gift I received for this holiday was a gift card. How...thoughtful? NO. It doesn't take funding to come up with something that will make your date cry (happy tears...this is of course the goal of a gift). All you need is a little bit of insight into what your significant other really enjoys. Remember, handcrafted gifts are often the most memorable. This being said, don't just color a card and consider that a gift.
• DO NOT be afraid to employ the friends of your Valentine to help you figure out what your other may like. This is mainly true of couples that have not been together long. This gesture shows that you're really trying to get to know the other person as well as you possibly could. Beware, however, to be sneaky with this but not so sneaky that your other thinks something is awry.
• DO NOT plan a night in just to cop out of actually putting effort into doing something original. It's very transparent when you do so. If you're trying to save money on the date, try going on a picnic. Find an outdoor theater that plays shows for free if you're on the lawn. Go to the public beach. Find a friend with a projector and lay a blanket out in your backyard and project the movie onto a tarp. Go to your local playground and act like children on the equipment.
• DO remember chocolate is never taboo.

If you find yourself single this Valentine's Day, try the following.

• Plan a night in (or out) with your friends. Ladies, plan a girls' night. Gentlemen, plan a poker/video game marathon (or whatever it is men do when ladies aren't around). Plan a general party/mixer with your friends.
• Don't wait for someone else to buy you some chocolate; buy some for yourself! Chocolate fixes everything; I'm convinced.
• Avoid sappy movies. Also, avoid overly vindictive movies. Try watching old Disney films. Stay away from Lifetime.
• Stay busy if your mind will wander back to the fact that you're single. Focus on work, school, event planning, networking, or whatever it is you do on a regular basis.
• Don't treat the day like it's something special if it bothers you. This being said, avoid moping around or asking to skip over the day in general.
• Remember that even if you don't have a significant other on which to place your feelings on this day, God loves you and wants your love in return and He is the greatest Valentine of them all.

I realize the day before probably isn't the best time to give advice on the subject, but perhaps your a last-minute person, in which case, I hope this helps.

Witticism of the Day: Patience may be the hardest virtue of all to practice, but once you're able to do so you'll find that life is much more pleasant.