Don't Say in a Letter What You Can't Say in My Ear

There seems to be a lot of trash talk going on today, mostly about the fact that it's Valentine's Day.

True, as friends have informed me, it is a mass-marketed, consumer driven holiday that causes many to spend vast sums of money on their partners. It is also now almost completely devoid of its historical roots. Valentine's also encourages people to proclaim their love to their significant others in a big way, which I admit is slightly redundant. After all, a number on a calendar should not be a deciding factor on whether to tell your lover how much you adore them - that should be unconditional.

But give a thought to the people who I think Valentine's Day is really for: the singletons. Anyone who has put themselves out on a limb and expressed their true feelings for someone for the first time, without any assurance that it will be reciprocated, will tell you that it is a truly terrifying experience. The anxiety about the method of delivery, the nerves during the proclamation, and most of all the gut-wrenching anticipation of the other person's response. You are really opening up your heart to someone, baring your soul, with no guarantee that it will end the way you hope.

But on this day, this day, we get to take a baby step. The Valentine's Day card. Something that can be sent as anonymously as you want it to. Mail it to a friend in Kentucky to mail it to your love in Kent to avoid postmark guesswork. Compose the message from newspaper cuttings. Scribe with your left hand. At least then the recipient is aware that they are the object of desire from some source. Which is why I really, really like the 14th of February. It helps build up our courage for the big event, to prime the walls of our heart and the heart of the recipient for the hopeful coating of love that will soon follow.

So if you sent a card today, I hope that this has encouraged you to go one step further, and act on your intentions. You'll never know unless you try.