Make it count this Valentine’s Day

By Alecia Sexton
Layout Manager

We all know that Valentine’s Day is “The day of love,” and while the day is particularly enjoyable for couples who like to celebrate their relationship, there’s always a certain amount of stress that surrounds the day. “What if he/she doesn’t like my gift? What if they thought I would’ve spent more money? What if this mediocre gift affects our relationship…?” These questions can be easily avoidable by just giving the day a splash of unique thought.

Since relationships are often based off of memories, experiences and commonalities, why not make the day personalized rather than spending an average of eighty dollars on roses and chocolates. I think we can all agree that that’s not only fattening, but cliche and seems like an easy way out.

There’s a light at the end of this tunnel, though, LIU! Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be the day of debt or the the day of stress! We can all impress that special someone right from our own home. The following are some ideas that won’t break the bank and are sure to impress your loved one.

Homemade memory books. There’s a fantastic website called mixbook.com that not only runs sales very frequently, but allows you to upload photos taken from your phone or computer onto the site and into a photo book template. In addition, to this you can edit the template and add in extra splashes of personalized content. If, however, you’d rather be more involved in the gift, you can take a trip to CVS, print some photos, and then purchase a small scrapbook at Michael’s. You can even decorate it with mementos from your relationship to really go over the top!

Shower your other half with small notes and reminders that they’re your favorite person! Leave them on their car, in their mailbox, on their front door, or in a notebook. Write down on paper things you love about them and every time they nd one on V-Day, they’ll certainly feel loved.

Make dinner for (or with) your loved one and seal it with a heart shaped dessert. With today’s low quality and/or high priced food choices, a trip to the grocery store and a few hours in the kitchen is not only more personal and romantic, but extremely practical. Light a candle, turn on their favorite music and veg out… then tie up the night with a good movie!

Take them out for a night in town and just enjoy the time and atmosphere! This doesn’t have to be a money spending endeavor, but instead could end up creating new stories and some great memories. Pop in and out of a few stores, sight see, and taste some different foods. If you both like to dance, try looking for a dance hall to stir things up.

Valentine’s Day can be a grand celebration or a grand reminder that you’re flying solo, so for a more inside peek at love and its nature, I caught up with Dr. Haeryun Choi, Ph.D, a Philosophy Professor here at LIU Post and got some of her-more qualified than I am-opinion and feelings on love.

Choi says that, “While there are many different types of love, they all have a common characteristics.” As gathered from the works of the famous philosophers Plato and Rousseau, and from knowledge obtained from personal reflections of her own life, Choi says that “Understanding yourself must come first. Self-love, not to be confused with selfishness and selfish desires, is required in order to be able to love another.”

“If we don’t value ourselves as individuals,” Choi says, “then the foundation of a relationship becomes based off of seeking validation and acceptance from the other person. With self love, however, we are then able to value another human being and have a stronger bond.”

In closing, Professor Choi left students with one last view on love: “A relationship shouldn’t be based on the fact that another person is giving you something, because sooner or later you will be disappointed. Don’t, however,” she says, “miss out on a chance at love because of fear. Taking a step towards another person, whether it’s a right or wrong step, will, in the end help you discover who you truly are.”