The tail end of the gift-giving holiday season is upon us, and whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, Anna Howard Shaw Day, Singles Awareness Day, or none or all of the above, it can be a tough time of year. Ideally, it’s a great, if commercialized, opportunity to celebrate the joy love has brought into your life by writing a heartfelt card to your spouse, finally telling your crush how you feel via a heart-shaped box of chocolates, or splitting a bottle of wine with your best friend and reminiscing about the good times you’ve shared.
On the other hand, Valentine’s Day has a tricky tendency to remind us of just how difficult and disappointing love can actually be. Do you feel a wave of fatigue at the thought of hunting down another “heartfelt” Hallmark card? Are you cringing at the prospect of another tacky or thoughtless gift from your boyfriend — if he even bothers to get you anything this year?
