Rushing the holidays

Why won't retailers let us enjoy one holiday before shoving the next one down our throats? I stopped off at the grocery store on Christmas Eve, and what do I see, but Valentine Cards??? Please! I mean, really, can't they just hold that until the middle of January? It's not like the majority of people don't wait until the last minute anyway. I hate Valentine's Day. OK, yeah, I'm bitter and jealous. Other than the three years I was married, I never had a "sweetie" at VD anyway. My ex got me something the first year we were married, but I don't remember getting anything the other two. It was kind of sweet, but he pissed me off first. We didn't have the money for him to buy me anything, which was fine, but he could have picked some flowers out of my mom's yard for me. I told him that, too. He refused. Then later, he drew a picture of flowers, and wrote a little poem for me. I don't remember the exact wording, but it said something about loving me even if he wouldn't steal flowers out of someone's yard to prove it. It was sweet. Then, when he got paid later that week, he went to the florist, and bought, I think, a single red rose, and a couple of daisys.

I know it's silly to get all hung up on one day, but sometimes, you need the gesture. For me, it wouldn't be, oh, he has to buy me a dozen roses, and a big box of candy, and a huge card with sickeningly sweet words on it. Truthfully, one flower (and it wouldn't have to be a rose), and even just a kiddie valentine would mean so much.