I do?

Valentines Day.....is it a romantic day to celebrate the one you love or is it a ploy to make consumers feel obligated to buy a present for their significant other and take them to a nice dinner? Depending on who you ask the answer may be very different. I for one am not an advocate for Valentines Day. Why you make ask? Because I work at a nice restaurant. Every year about a month before our phone lines become flooded with boyfriends, husbands, and fiances calling to make a reservation to celebrate their relationship. Each man on the phone feels the need to tell me their life story: how long they have been together, what he is getting her for Valentines Day, and what kind of flower he is having delivered. The first 10-15 calls I get I think it is sweet how hard they are trying and I don't mind offering suggestions. By the 300th call I really could care less of your wife prefers carnations over roses. Last year we had 1,400 reservations.....all in one day!!!! It is absolute chaos having that many people in one small place. It is fun to see see all of the flowers being brought in all day to be placed on the table prior to the couple arriving. I have seen many engagements that take place on this day. Each one is very special. The man usually comes in a week or so before the night to plan exactly how he will ask her. You can see the nerves in his eyes and hope he has that she will say yes. It is pretty amusing to watch the woman's face as he pops the question. You can tell if she was expecting it to happen or if it was a total surprise. Valentines Day can be a very special memory in a couples life or a cliche that involves a hallmark card, but either way it is still a very busy day for me at work.