The 14 days of Valentine, because one day is not enough
I’m not very good with numbers. That’s why I went to law school. They told me there wouldn’t be any math.
But accountants know about numbers, and when my accountant, Mike Bell, talks numbers, I listen carefully.
Mike once told me, “One is not enough. You need 14.”
“Fourteen what?” I asked numbly, assuming he was referring to something like 14 tax exemptions.
“Days,” replied Mike. “One day is not enough to tell someone you love them. You need the 14 days of Valentine.”
I had heard of the 12 days of Christmas, but never the 14 days of Valentine. I was intrigued and asked my CPA to itemize his deductions about Valentine’s Day.
“People tend to rush through Valentine’s Day,” Mike explained. “They give a card or buy a box of candy, and it’s over. That’s why my wife and I started doing the 14 days of Valentine. We buy small gifts or cards for each other and start giving them on Feb. 1. That way, when Valentine’s Day rolls around, we’ve had two weeks of hearing about our love for each other.”
I have to admit, Mike has set a high standard for the rest of us. Most men think about Valentine’s Day somewhere about 4:30 p.m. Feb. 13. We scramble around at the last minute trying to find red lingerie and a picked-over greeting card.
By the time you read this article, it will be too late to start Mike’s tradition this year, but what if we implemented a post Valentine’s version of Mike’s idea? Here are some ideas that might work for your 14 days of Valentine:
•Give words of affirmation. Each day from Feb. 14 through the end of the month, give your loved one a note that tells one thing you like about him or her.
•Give one flower each day for the 14 days. Attach a note with a complimentary word that describes your loved one.
•Give gifts with a theme for 14 days. One man gave his wife a bracelet that said “Always” on it. In the days that followed, he rented the movie “Always,” gave her the song “Always and forever,” sent her balloons with the word “Always” on them and bought her a desk plaque that read “Always.” After 14 days she got the message!
Mike is right. One day is not enough.
This year, let’s celebrate Valentine’s Day for two weeks. And you don’t have to limit your love message to a spouse or “significant other.” Do it with your kids, with that elderly neighbor who is a widow or widower, or even a special friend who means a lot to you. Love is too big to be contained in just one day, or with just one person. Spread love for two weeks!