Inspiring and Meaningful Ideas for Valentine's Day

Did you know that the celebration of Saint Valentine originally had to do with martyrdom and sacrifice? That's right, Saint Valentine refused to be converted to paganism and instead tried to convert the Roman emperor of the day to Christianity; this little action gave him a death sentence. According to history.com, legend has it that he healed his prisoner's daughter of her blindness, befriended her, and wrote her a letter signed "From Your Valentine" before his death; this letter is considered by some people to be the first valentine ever written.

While the story has a somewhat romantic albeit bittersweet ending, romance is not the original focus of the celebration of Saint Valentine's life.

To bring back a little more meaning to Valentine's day, we can cut back a little on consumerism and instead look into our hearts. While I don't suggest martyrdom, sacrifice is associated with selfless actions done for the good of others. I also believe that we can sacrifice certain things for our own good. Don't worry, I'm not talking about sacrificing chocolate here.

Since the main theme of Valentine's Day is love, why not find ways to express your love for yourself and others? Here are some ideas to help you enjoy Valentine's day in a meaningful way:

1. Say "I Love You" to Yourself
Try it. Say "I love you" while looking into your own eyes in the mirror. Include your name while you're at it. Smile generously and truly mean it. If you are like me, this exercise may feel really silly and is surprisingly difficult. If it is too hard to say the words, include some reasons why you love yourself; it will make it easier to get past the embarrassment. However you do this, remember to look directly at yourself when you say the words.

2. Give to a Charity or Volunteer
There are many meaningful and needed charities that require more awareness, assistance, and funding. If you know where your passion lies, give what you can to the cause. Monetary gifts are not the only things that matter; even if you don't have the funds to give at the moment, you can educate yourself and bring awareness to those around you. Many people have Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter accounts; it is easy to share information using social media. You can also volunteer your time with a local group.

If nothing else, at least you will have learned something new that will inspire interesting conversations with friends and strangers.

3. Send a Card to a Friend
Remember when you were a child and everyone walked around the class giving out Valentine cards to the entire classroom? Remember how great it felt to receive the cards, even if you haven't hit puberty and still believe in cooties? Receiving such a simple gesture gives a sense of community and belonging. We rarely send letters with our friends. Valentine's Day is a good time to show your close friends how much they mean to you.

4. Call your Parents
On Valentine's Day, parents are probably the last people on anyone's mind. They have their own special days, afterall, but I bet that they would be thrilled to hear from you, their beloved.

Besides, if you call them earlier in the day, the chance of them calling at an inconvenient time is much lower, which means that there are less chance of an interruption when you and your partner are getting busy.

5. Do Something Nice for Yourself
I know you probably didn't do Item 1, so I'm here to tell you to do something nice for yourself. Even if you were able to verbally express your self-love, expressing it in more ways than one cements the idea in your brain. Spend some hours at the spa if you have the budget, otherwise, buy yourself some flowers, bake some cookies, make sangria (who needs to wait until summer for this?), take a bath, watch some football, or take a walk. The list of things you can do for yourself is endless.

Some of you are probably shaking your head as you notice that none of the above has anything to do with one's significant other. This is because I don't think that Valentine's Day can only be celebrated by people who are coupled up. This is a day to celebrate love. There are plenty of articles on the internet about gifts for your boyfriend or girlfriend and multiple commercials and ads that tell you what to buy. The ads obviously work; I saw line ups in front of Tiffany's for hours on Friday as I walked by the store several times.

But the one thing you can give your significant other on Valentine's day is you. Be there for him or her in what ever way he or she needs you. I don't simply mean physically be in the same vicinity. Nothing frustrates more than getting a glamorous gift that gets your hope up about the future, only to be unheard by your significant other a mere few minutes later.