Valentine's Day Strikes Again

Or does it?
It struck at midnight last night, but in a different way.
I decided that while Valentine's Day is a Hallmark holiday designed to promote capitalistic tendencies, I rather like hallmark cards anyway.
I used to be the cynical girl for whom watching horror movies and imagining couples walking down the street stepped into a hole a disappeared was what got me through this horrid day. My freshman year of highschool I had a boyfriend, but he didn't even realize it was Valentine's Day until I pointed it out right before he left on the bus. He happened to have a fake flower and gave it to me. How romantic...Then my freshman year of college I also had a boyfriend, but rather than deal with Valentine's Day with him, I drove 4 hours home to watch attractive, professional hockey players play 2 games that weekend.
As far as I can remember I never liked Valentine's Day. I'm pretty sure it started in elementary school. I must have had some sort of traumatic experience that I've blocked from my memory.

This year...I feel different. It didn't hit me until last night though.
As Carrie Bradshaw would say, I'm batting for the other team - the side of love.
In love? Not quite, but there's hope (there's hope people!)
I got blindsided, but I'm liking it so far.

This morning my phone buzzed around 6:15. I had a text. It made me smile. It made my day.
I also have my first day of work and I'm excited for that. Then I have dinner with my parents. I'm looking forward to it. I won't be glaring at the couples around us. I'll be smiling, because I'm loving my life and the people (and pets) in it.

I hope your Valentine's Day is just as happy as mine.