This is quite a belated post, I mean Valentine’s Day was more than a month ago right?
Why do I even bother to right something about that now?
Well to be honest, I had worked on a posting that I had intended to post on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to finish writing it on that day itself and before I realised, the rest of the week and thereafter, I was simply bombarded with too much work and didn’t have time to complete it.
Nevertheless, I still wanted to write a Valentine’s Day special but here, I am shifting the focus a bit to birthdays.
Well, to Dave and myself, Valentine’s day don’t really hold as much significance. The day that we really wanted to celebrate, is the eve of Valentine’s day. Yes, that is our birthdays.
And yes, we share the same birthday but no, we were not born in the same year.
Compared to Valentine’s Day, celebrating our birthdays is much more meaningful. After all, it’s probably one in a million (ok I am making up that stat but you know what I mean) that you actually share the same birthday as your spouse right?
Having said that, February 14 serves to be a very special day for the romantics and for most couples.
In the month of February, it is not unusual to see posters hung by retailers (everywhere literally), reminding us that it’s that special day of the year to do something. And there are also those pricey ridiculous Valentine’s day meals that are prepared just for you to bring that special someone out, and provide them with a memorable day.
That’s all really sweet.
That’s all really marketing.
That’s all really commercial.
I am not going to shoot down what Valentine’s day stands for. After all, Saint Valentine (whom this day is dedicated to) did something really noble back in the days where he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire.
Personally for me, Valentine’s day doesn’t really mean that much to me, whether I have a Valentine or not. Perhaps it might be because I value the eve of Valentine’s more.
Do we need a pricey experience just to impress the others?
Do we really need to impress the other party during that special day?
The thing about having a Valentine is, everyday is Valentine’s Day.
It is not just limited to February 14.
Are we not able to express our love on any other day? Do we only do it on that particular day?
Not at all.
But then again, this is a good opportunities for retailers to earn some extras.
Nothing wrong with that.
What about birthdays then?
Since I value birthdays so more so, how do we celebrate it?
For us, it was a simple celebration.
We brought Ally to the sea aquarium (I know, it’s our birthdays, not hers).
But for us, being able to celebrate our birthdays together as a family means a lot.
I did not want to send her to a babysitter, and just celebrate the day, just the two of us.
We had an enjoyable time together. And Ally, being older, is able to appreciate the trip better, identifying the fishes, the jellyfishes, crabs, etc. And it was a joy to see her glow at the sight of the dolphins, or the way her eyes lit up when the sharks swam by.
That beautiful smile. That jovial face.
For us, that was the greatest gift.
Simple, yet deeply entrenched in our memories.