Blame Chaucer

Yes, as a matter of fact, I DO love Valentine's Day. You'd think that having lived 23 of my 28 February Fourteenths without a real sweetheart, I'd loathe the day. But I don't. Sure, at a low point in college I made a Valentine's mixtape featuring Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely" and Frank Sinatra's "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," but even then, I was enjoying the misery of unrequited love. (Looking back, the guy I was pining for wasn't even that cute or interesting. The coolest thing about him was that he made a Guenter Grass t-shirt and wore it nearly every day, at least to German class, which was the only place we ever talked.)

But the point is that this holiday, which could be viewed of decades full of disappointment, is one that I simply don't mind. Nope. I revel in all it has to offer. Like these things:

1. Conversation hearts. Sweet, chalky, stale, nearly indecipherable. Still, yummy and fun.

2. Red and pink. Valentine's Day makes it okay to put those two colors together. In my old apartment, I broke my lease agreement because I so badly wanted a Valentine's Day kitchen (inspired in part by Annie's kitchen in Sleepless in Seattle). The cupboards were pink and white, and everything else was red - red tea kettle, red towels, red clock. When people came over, I knew they doubted the wisdom of my color scheme, but to me, it was just perfect.

3. Mail. Among my favorite days in elementary school was Valentine's Day, when I felt like the most popular kid in school because I had, like, 50 envelopes to open. Before I got to the age when I started reading into the messages from the ones I got from boys, I mostly was excited about the candy inside (see point 1).

4. Roses are always overpriced for Valentine's Day, but tulips are usually making their first appearance in the grocery store this time of year, and they're under $5. And I like them better.

5. A handwritten "I love you" is the nicest thing to read. And if a Hallmark holiday helps you remember to write it on a cold day in February, I'm all for it.