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- What I did this Valentine’s day…
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Or rather, as many call it, single awareness day. Let’s face it, Valentine’s day can be awesome or it can really really suck. It’s good to remind the masses to tell their loved ones they appreciate them, and I understand that sometimes we really do need a day to remind us to do that. People are busy, but regardless of how busy you are its impossible to miss the giant sea of pink that floods stores everywhere starting right after Christmas. But it also reminds the people in our world who haven’t found love, who’ve lost family or who are alone or feeling lonely this valentine’s day for whatever reason , that they are… in fact…alone. For people who suffer from low self esteem, it’s an entire day where you sit and let your demons take over. I would remind myself that I don’t deserve to be loved, that I should be lonely on this day, because I am a horrible human being. A year ago, it also coincided with the day that my first love left me for someone my little sisters age. In short, this day can really suck.
I was wasting time on Facebook one day and I am came across an event called To The Person Who Finds This: You are phenomenal. You matter. It gave me the opportunity to try and brighten someone’s valentine’s day, the way I would have wanted a year ago. It encourages people to make valentine’s, address to the person who finds this… with positive messages inside. I really enjoyed the idea of reminding random strangers who are going about their busy lives that they are loved and that they matter. Especially on the day that can make them feel like they don’t. I went and bought six cards, general cards encouraging people to embrace the love in the world, and filled them with positive messages. Reminding each person that they are loved, important and unique in our world. I left them in many places around Toronto, including the lobby of my workplace, a newspaper box, on a bench at a bus stop, in the waiting area at union station, in a train, and in a hospital (specifically the washroom of the waiting area).
While placing the cards I noticed something interesting. People watched me remove the card from my purse, sit down for a while and walk away without it. They saw me leave the card ( I made it look like I forgot them because otherwise people will think strangely of them) but not one person said “ma’am you forgot something”. It really speaks to the apathy of this city, that not one person would say anything.
I am aware that no one might read them. That they may be tossed in the garbage, blown away with the wind, or inspected by police for threat of anthrax ( it’s Toronto, they are paranoid). But my hope that one person reads it, remembers someone who loves them and smiles. Feels a weight lifted from their shoulders for at least five seconds and feels better about this day. If no one reads them, at least writing these cards made me remember about who loves me, and how I have so much to smile about.
By Alicia