why the bitter diatribes? it's the day of LOVE, for crying out loud!

i just watched bright star, which is the tragic love story of romantic poet john keats and fanny brawne. i was already aware (thanks to my lit classes) that keats dies at age 25 of tuberculosis, so the end wasn't much of a surprise, but that didn't make it any less depressing.

perhaps not the best movie to watch on valentine's day.

now that i'm sufficiently melancholy, i would like to share some thoughts on valentine's day. i've thought about it, and i have decided this: it's wonderful that we have a special holiday to celebrate love. what taints this holiday, though, are the concourses of people who believe that romantic love is the only type of love worthy to celebrate. most of these people are those who don't currently have a "significant other," so they 1) cry all day long, eat chocolate ice cream to console their downtrodden spirits, and feel sorry for themselves, or 2) wear black, declare valentine's day to be "single awareness day," and go around bitterly proclaiming their hatred of the holiday (they also feel sorry for themselves). one of my friends on facebook had this as his status: "happy single awareness day! most of the married people i know are miserable, free of the burden is pretty awesome" or something to that effect. i was really disgusted by that. it sounds like this poor fellow is so bitter that he's not married that he feels the need to insult all of his so-called "miserable" married friends. i feel sorry for him.

there are so many kinds of love! i'm not married, i'm not dating anyone, but i can still celebrate the love i have in my life. the love i have for my parents, for my sisters and brothers-in-law, my nephews and niece, wonderful friends, etc. etc.

to wallow and snivel that valentine's day isn't worth celebrating because i don't have a boyfriend would be doing a disservice to everyone in my life who i love and who i know love me. i love celebrating valentine's day because it's an extra opportunity to express my love to those around me. and to those of you who say that valentine's day isn't worth it because we should be showing our love every day of the year, that's like saying we shouldn't celebrate christmas because we should be remembering the savior every day of the year. of course we should remember the savior every day of the year, and of course we should show our love every day. is there anything wrong with having a special day set aside to celebrate love? i think not.

sorry for the tirade. that's just what i think. love is wonderful. and we should take this valentine's day to celebrate the love we have, whether or not it has anything to do with romance. with that said, i love you.

and please don't be bitter.