Well, Valentine’s Day is just a few days away. When I was in my teens I would have already been looking forward to it. Whenever I had a boyfriend, I arranged something special for him, such as making home made heart-shaped biscuits or something similar. If I was single in February I found it exciting buying a card and sending it anonymously to the boy whom I had a crush on. On Valentine’s Day itself I would rush back in from school with feelings of nervous excitement in the pit of my stomach, waiting to see if there was a Valentine’s card for me lying on the mat behind the front door. I was usually fortunate and there was often a card there; occasionally, two or three. On an occasion when I received nothing, I was gutted but told anyone who asked that I didn’t mind.

In my late teens and early twenties I really enjoyed St Valentine’s Day. I was often treated to meals out, flowers, chocolates and I cooked meals for my boyfriend and gave special cards full of warm words. It happened that I was single a few times in February, but I still enjoyed sending a card (or two) and I still had those same feelings of excitement and anticipation that I had had as a teenager when I heard the postman put something through the door.

The last few years I haven’t felt this way on St Valentine’s Day. I had begun to think it was all a bit commercial. But, who knows.....maybe this year I will be able to make it a special one and bring some romance back into my marital home and conjure up those nice feelings again. It takes two, and it's about time I started putting more effort in with my current relationship and stopped looking back to the past. If things were that great with the other suitors, surely I'd still be with them, and I'm not...so it's time to start appreciating what I do have and enjoying the present. I'll start making future memories! :)