Column: Taking the unnecessary fluff out of Valentine’s Day

On Valentine’s Day, a lot of people will be receiving some sort of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, a card that says, “I Love You” and a special dinner date for two. And, as always, there will be people who are cursed with the Valentine’s Day gift of a stuffed animal, or even worse, one that sings.
Since we were kids, Valentine’s Day has been a day to celebrate feeling liked. In elementary school, the love was not present yet, but the feeling of getting a Valentine with a princess or Power Ranger on it always made the day seem special. This was a day when parents usually showed some affection for each other and flowers would suddenly appear on the kitchen table, elevating a mom’s mood for a little while at least.
After puberty, the meaning of Valentine’s Day took a sudden, not-so-enjoyable turn. It was no longer required to give everyone in class a Valentine; rather it was a personal choice of who the special someone of the day would be. If the day was spent without a Valentine, the sting of loneliness was felt.
In high school, I had the displeasure of working at a Hallmark store during the Valentine’s season. It was a pink and red nightmare. There were so many oversized stuffed animals lining the shelves, and all of them seemed to make loathsome noises. I specifically remember this bright pink monkey that had a motion activated catcall. Every time I passed it, it would scare the crap out of me. When customers would pass it and hear the noise, their first reaction was to look at me, the employee, with a confused expression, as if I was the one who had just whistled at them.
After a few miserable months at Hallmark, listening to bears say, “I love you,” over and over and over again, the Valentine’s stuffed animals really sparked a nerve with me. If a person were to collect all of the stuffed animals sold at yard sales, a vast majority of those would be tacky Valentine’s stuffed animals. This proves that the sentimental value of the gift slowly fades away, after coming to terms with the fact that there has been a massive teddy bear taking up so much of a room that it should start paying rent.
There are so many other options for a Valentine’s gift, rather than stuffed creatures that sing. Homemade items are always the best. Picture frames and creative items are mementos that can be kept, and easily thrown away or burned if it doesn’t work out between the couple. If the creative things aren’t your forte, go with flowers. I have always wanted to be greeted by a guy holding flowers, just like what happens in every romantic comedy known to man.
If stuffed animals are left out of the Valentine’s equation, especially with adults, the world might not have as many life-sized hot pink gorillas with a heart in their hands, but it would be a more peaceful place. Love can be much better represented by a less furry, less noisy and more creative Valentine’s gift.


Kara is a sophomore nursing major. E-mail her at kaugustine@louisville     cardinal.com

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