Valentine’s Day is a reminder to cherish and nurture our relationships with the ones we love, but the holiday can bring pressure and disappointment if expectations aren’t met. To avoid a Valentine’s Day disaster, discuss the holiday before it arrives, so you and your partner can celebrate in a way that strengthens your bond on Valentine’s Day and every day after.
What to Say Before the Day
Before Valentine’s Day arrives, discuss it with your partner. Many of us lead busy, complicated lives where relationships sometimes take a backseat to work or distractions like technology. Valentine’s Day is a way to refocus on what matters most.
Although Valentine’s Day is just a day like any other, it serves as a reminder. Talking and making plans before the holiday can prevent one partner from having expectations that may not coincide with the other partner’s Valentine’s Day plans. This could lead to a conflict.
Even if you have been in a relationship for quite some time and haven’t celebrated Valentine’s Day in recent years, there is no time like the present to reevaluate what your relationship means and show your partner that your love has not diminished.
If you are in a new relationship, you may feel intense pressure or analyze each tiny detail relating to Valentine’s Day. By talking to your significant other, you can get a better idea of what will make her happy to avoid a holiday that is blah or committing a faux pas.
Everyone wants to feel love, but giving is as important and as satisfying as receiving. Small gifts can make a big difference. When people feel appreciated and loved, they are naturally more easygoing and fun to be around.
There is a saying, “Happy Wife, Happy Life,” but that sentiment extends to all people. Happiness originates from pure intentions and cultivating kindness toward others. A thoughtful gift that is given with sincerity can bring happiness to the recipient, the giver and the many other people they encounter.
Giving a gift to your significant other is also giving yourself a gift, as it can manifest a closer partnership and deeper connection.
The Feel from What is Real
If you are pondering a Valentine’s Day gift for your special someone, you can’t go wrong with flowers. Perhaps it is because flowers are beautiful and classic yet real and alive. Maybe it is the tradition that coincides with the gesture. Whatever the reason, flowers have been scientifically proven to make the recipient happy. As we already mentioned, happy wife (or any loved one), happy life.
Giving flowers has historically been a way to communicate love and affection. As a gift, flowers have been a part of human existence since the Middle Ages. In the Victorian era, people were not fond of directly expressing emotions, so flowers became an acceptable way to convey emotion. The language of flower meaning was expanded upon, so every characteristic of a flower, even its size, condition and position, meant something.
Sending flowers to someone via a flower delivery service has been a practice since 1910, and the tradition still holds as much meaning today.
Speaking of tradition, roses have always been the standard and most beloved Valentine’s Day flowers to send, especially red. For communicating love and passion, red roses won’t send any mixed signals.
Red roses can be a small gesture of love or a giant, elaborate gesture, depending on how many roses are in the arrangement. Also, roses can be nestled among other flowers for more color and variety.
If you want to send flowers that are a bit more unique, think about your wife or girlfriend’s preferences. Do you know her favorite flower? If not, what colors does she like? Aside from red roses, pink roses are popular. For something a little more exotic, purple flower arrangements are typically well-received by those who appreciate a little mystery, magic and creativity.
Some women prefer bright blooms like sunflowers, tulips or daisies. It all depends on what she likes. No matter what kind of flower you choose, the most important part of this holiday is to convey both by action and words how much she means to you.
Give our florists at A Roses Petals in Paterson, NJ, a few details about your special someone, and we will put together the perfect arrangement. Communicate your love in the language of flowers. Don’t worry if you don’t speak the language because we will translate for you!
Give Your Heart Even When Apart
When we are apart from our loved ones, it is important to nurture the relationship to maintain closeness despite the distance. Talking is important because texting is a bit less personal. Sending handwritten letters to each other is another way to keep the fires burning to keep you warm even when you can’t cuddle with each other.
For those whose hearts live far apart, transcend distance with Valentine’s Day gifts you can send. The advice regarding flowers extends to Valentine’s Day gift delivery. For those who may want more options, there are plenty of gifts for her that can be sent to her home or office.
Chocolates, teddy bears and various gift baskets are all good options for gifts that can be delivered either to the home or workplace of your special someone. Receiving an unexpected gift will remind your long-distance love that you are thinking of her.
You can wear your heart on your sleeve, but on Valentine’s Day, it helps to put the contents of your heart into words. Before the holiday, sit down and consider how being with the one you love has changed your life. Let that realization guide your words. Share those words, and your love will be strengthened.
Even if you don’t live apart, you may not be together for the entire day on Valentine’s Day. Send her something special while you are apart to make the day more memorable until you are together.
Whether near or far, an unexpected gift delivered to your loved one’s home or workplace is a great reminder of how grateful you are for the love you share.
A Meal with Appeal
Having a romantic dinner together is a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you can celebrate the holiday together, surprise her with her favorite dinner, whether it is at a restaurant or a home-cooked meal.
If you have a long-distance relationship, try to make time to still eat together. Thanks to technology like Facetime and Skype, you can still sit with each other, share meaningful conversation and gaze into one another’s eyes until you meet again.
To keep love alive, you need to feed it. What better way than by eating together? The more you share with one another, the closer you will be. Be open with each other, and the future you look forward to together will also be open with more opportunities for love and understanding.
Lifted Above by Love
Love can make us better people. The right relationship can inspire us to not just overlook flaws in others but to accept and even celebrate those flaws. Strengths and weaknesses are present in us all. It is what we do with the strengths and weaknesses between us that determines the direction of our lives both together and apart.
Infatuation is easy, but the kind of love that lasts requires people to be vulnerable with one another. Real love needs honesty and attention. Divorce attorneys, the people who navigate how marriages end, shared some interesting and insightful relationship advice with Forbes magazine in an article entitled, “Surprising Relationship Advice From Divorce Lawyers.”
One attorney, Rebecca Zung stated, “My advice comes from being a divorce attorney, as well as someone who is divorced and happily remarried: You have to simply DECIDE you are going to be happily married. In the real world, this means you make a deliberate choice every day in every moment that your marriage takes priority over everything and everyone else in your life. Schedule time for yourselves. Also, make sure you consider everything you do in the context of how will it impact your marriage.”
Another attorney, Zephyr Hill said, “Healthy relationships require spending time together in real life, and social media can be a hazardous distraction. Broadcasting the details (good or bad) of your relationship is a recipe for disaster."
Lasting love entails commitment. It is deciding to do what it takes to make your relationship a priority and avoiding too many distractions. Valentine’s Day is a good reminder to emphasize love, so invest in her happiness and your own this holiday and every day after.