Another Valentine’s Day has come and gone.  Men are relieved they managed to skate their way through and now have a 7-month reprieve until the next Hallmark holiday.  Women snag a bite size treat from their generic drug-store box of chocolates as they pass through the kitchen, and end up donating the little stuffed bear clutching its red “I love you” heart to the dog’s pile of chew toys.

Since I work mostly with men, I took this Valentine’s Day as an opportunity for a little unofficial poll of sorts.  I wanted to know what they had up their sleeves for the women in their lives.  The overwhelming response was that they don’t need a date on a calendar to show their women affection.  Yet, when asked what they do throughout the year to make their wives feel special, the responses were lukewarm.

“She knows I love her.”

“We’re going to Florida in June.”  (With the kids)

“I hand over my paycheck every week.”

While I am inclined to give a high-five to the wife of that last guy, I’m a bit disheartened.  It seems we get so wrapped up in everyday life and the assumption that our mates know our feelings for them, we forget that throwing a curveball here and there does wonders to recharge our romantic batteries.

These romantic holidays are designed to do just that.  But I’m going to hop the fence here and join the guys in saying “Screw Hallmark Holidays”.  Let’s skip Sweetest Day, Valentine’s Day, and any other day the drug stores dedicate an aisle to crappy little trinkets and singing cards.

In exchange, however, we must choose days here and there throughout the year to send the kids off to a sitter, put on something sexy, and remind our mates that we’re not just soccer moms, maids, and chauffeurs.  The more we show them we haven’t fallen into the rut of busy schedules and married life, the less those Hallmark Holidays will mean.

If you make a habit of regularly recharging your romantic batteries, you can skip the calendar reminders and giggle inside as you pass the poor sap with the card and teddy bear in the checkout line each February… because you know what you gave your partner the night before could never be mistaken for a chew toy.