Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.
While I’m all in favor of love and romance and kindness, Valentine’s Day has always felt too commercial to me. When I was growing up it was almost unheard of in Australia. We certainly didn’t exchange cards or do school projects making valentines. It’s very much a recent  phenomenon here, driven mainly by TV and other commercial groups.
So I’m a bit of a grinch about the day. To me, romance and love should be celebrated whenever the mood strikes you, and you shouldn’t have to buy presents, like perfect-looking red roses that have no scent, and chocolates. Chocolates are for everyone, to be eaten and enjoyed at any time, whether you’re in a happy relationship or not.

And that’s another thing  I dislike — the “couple-ness” of Valentines Day, the implication that if you’re single, or widowed or divorced, then you’re some kind of loser.
So go out and subvert the message — give chocolates or flowers or even just a hug to anyone you care about — your gran, the  retired teacher  who taught you so well, the old bloke across the road who watches out for you and brings in your bins, the librarians who work so hard to find you the right book, and who are defending people’s right to read whatever they like.  There are plenty more you could add to this list, but you get the idea.  Valentines’ Day should be a “Love Actually” kind of day — and if you haven’t seen that movie, watch it.
But I don’t feel that, as a romance writer I can let the day pass Completely unnoticed. So here’s a cute little cartoon that I pinched off Facebook. 
Happy Valentine’s Day.