love and stuff

i loathe valentine's day. always have - even when i had a boyfriend to celebrate it with. this holiday feels so contrived to me, and with the added societal pressures dictating romance and how such affection ought to be expressed - even the best of intentions end up muffled by bushels of roses and an army of teddy bears.

this holiday is particularly ridiculous here in shanghai: roses of every shade (including blue) with glitter-tinged petals bursting from vendor carts on practically every street corner, the wide-eyed stares from stuffed animals' heads peering forth from bouquets (literally, bouquets), each western restaurant attempting to out-advertise the other with their "couples' specials", young chinese couples who already embody the very definition of PDA taking it up another notch today from sidewalks to subway cars....you get the idea.

the weather today, however, did feel somewhat magical. snowflakes have swirled and danced through a silvery sky all afternoon, invoking both serenity and mystery.

saw my parents off at the airport this morning, wrapping up their 3-week jaunt around shanghai and taiwan. the older i get, the more i enjoy my parents' company. maybe it's because i don't easily get embarrassed anymore. or because i've learned to see them not just as parents but as interesting people, beautiful and complicated with all their quirks. or because i realize that life happens fast, and the fleeting time we have with loved ones ought to be treasured.

okay, so maybe that's my real beef with valentine's day. why designate one specific day as the day to express your love? why jack up the prices on dinners and flowers and shroud this one calendar date with all the jittery expectations of what love should look like? i suppose the reality is that we are all busy people and without holidays and occasions to mark our time, we would live in a rush of forgetfulness and frenzy from day to day. the celebration of holidays allows us to step back from our routines and consider certain values and traditions that enrich our lives.

it's not enough to be reminded for one day. whether we are contemplating love or thanksgiving, forgiveness or renewal, the celebration of holidays should prompt us to consider and reconsider the values and priorities by which we live our lives and choose (perhaps yet again) what is worth living for.

mood:  quiet

cups of coffee:  3