We’re approaching the holiday that men love to hate and women hate to love.

Valentine’s Day.

I have a few thoughts about this special day, so this week’s post will be dedicated to the day of candy hearts, flowers, and special deliveries.

If the whole day annoys you, give me one second before you flip back over to your Facebook page. Because I’m going to address several different scenarios for your February 14^th.

Scenario #1 (and the one I need to get off my chest first) involves the guy that doesn’t “do” Valentine’s Day (briefly dated this particular kind, emphasis on brief). Often this guy doesn’t just stop there, but underscores his disdain with the explanation that the only reason he doesn’t like the holiday is because he shows his love EVERY day, so he doesn’t need to flaunt it on this particular day.

Seriously?

So in October does this guy also say, “I eat candy all year long, so please don’t embarrass me by giving me more on Halloween.”

It’s just an excuse. And I have to assume that if there is a guy that showers his lady with sweet expressions of love daily, he would be the kind of guy that wouldn’t make such an excuse.

Okay, stepping off my candy box now and moving on to Scenario #2 which if paired with Scenario #1 could lead to WORST. VALENTINE’S. EVER.

Scenario #2 is the girl who has dreamed about exactly how this day should play out – flowers delivered at the office early that morning, handwritten valentine tucked neatly in her lunchbox, horse and carriage waiting in the parking lot to be taken away for a romantic candlelit dinner on a rooftop somewhere (because last week we clearly established all romance happens on the roof – OBVIOUSLY). If you are a Scenario #2 gal and not too ashamed to admit it (HEY! I’ve been there), you need to refer back here for a reality check to save your Valentine’s Day from major disappointment.

Scenario #3 is somewhere in the middle. My mom and dad have preached balance to me for as long as I can remember, because normally I like to be one extreme or the other.

But, I truly believe, in order for your Valentine’s Day to be happy you need to be solidly between Scenarios #1 and #2, which lands in the camp of recognizing that yes, Valentine’s Day is a little silly, BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t use it as an opportunity to show some love to someone special to you.

Scenario #3 is Guy knowing Girl well enough to have had an honest conversation about what she wants Valentine’s Day to look like. Let me interject a super sweet but practical example from the House of Shippmates:

This is me with a flower Ryan randomly brought home for me last week. He knows my favorite flower, which is sweet, but what really made my heart smile is that he knew/remembered that seeing a huge bouquet of flowers is oddly less exciting for me because my sad, sad mind knows how expensive they are and it stresses me out. I’ve always said I’d rather have ONE of my favorite flowers every month than a dozen all at once. And apparently someone was listening! I TRULY appreciated this with NO stressing out!!!!!

Scenario #3 is The Perfect Valentine’s Day. You’ve talked to your Valentine, you’ve listened, and you both are on the same page. For me, that means I’d genuinely prefer ONE flower. For you, it might be a box of chocolates. For me, it also might mean a little kitten with a sweet note tied to her collar (that’s me not being subtle).

And in the event you don’t have a romantic Valentine around this year and scenarios 1-3 are not applicable to your current relationship status, don’t think you are void of all festivities! Just one month before I met Ryan, I didn’t have anyone special enough to spend that night with, so instead I picked up this handsome cousin of mine and we had one SWEET Valentine’s Day together! In the toy aisle at Wal-Mart. And you know what? I wasn’t the slightest bit disappointed.

Here’s to making the most of whatever your scenario this Valentine’s Day!