Don't worry if you're spending today, Friday the 13th, hiding out in case anything bad happens. By tomorrow you can forget all about the unlucky day when you'll be pampered with flowers and chocolates – unless your significant other forgets, then you can bet there will be hell to pay.
But even if your Valentine's Day is filled with a romantic seven-course meal or creepy messages from the person stalking you, it's likely that you still won't be satisfied.
Why?
Because no matter how many times the word "love" is uttered, the amount of rose petals strewn across the bedroom, and the numerous instances you catch your stalker hiding out in the bushes in front of your house, this day has become filled with unrealistic materialistic hopes.
Sure, you could combat this by avoiding Valentine's entirely and instead focusing your efforts on reaching out to your long-lost relatives to maximise how many red envelopes you can score during next week's Chinese New Year (Feb 19).
Or you could lower your expectations and remind yourself that love is actually everywhere, in ways you may not always notice. Here are some simple ways affection can be found all year round:
- Love is… something you simply must have with you at all times and being secure that it's there even if it's not physically present... the same way you feel about your cell phone.
- Love is… an unconditional feeling that doesn't expect anything in return or hold you to unreasonable restrictions… like when you find a taxi driver who turns on the meter and takes you to your destination without question.
- Love is… being able to communicate openly and freely without judgement… which your co-workers take to a whole other level when they come out of the bathroom and describe their digestive experiences in detail.
- Love is… sometimes being sappy and staring into a person's eyes as the window to their soul… even if that means looking past the tons of false eyelash glue on their lids and the inflammation being caused by their scary purple big-eye contact lenses.
- Love is… having something to rely on that is trustworthy and dependable time and time again… like that perfect combination of sweet, sour, spicy and salty seasoning that you've mastered for your bamee.
- Love is… catching yourself thinking about someone else when you least expect it… such as when you're sitting at your desk and find yourself hoping that the guy who sells ice cream outside your office will be there today.
- Love is… being grateful for all the small blessings in life… like when the Skytrain approaches as soon as you reach the platform, finding a store that sells alcohol at all hours of the day, and when there is a 7-Eleven right when you need it.
- But most of all, love is patient… that may mean finding that one person who doesn't cut you in line, encountering a driver who isn't a douche, and having the ability to withstand sitting in traffic all day. Oh well, not all relationships can be perfect.