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It’s that special time again.  The birds are singing, winter clouds are parting, and love is in the air. Spring is approaching but before we start enjoying April showers and May flowers we must first face that day of the year many of us cringe to think of.   I’m talking about – gulp! – Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re single, in a relationship, in a complicated relationship, undecided, engaged, married, widowed, separated, divorced, in a civil union, or in a domestic partnership, February 14 is the day we come face to face with the ghosts of Valentine’s Day past, present, and future.   Alright, fine – Valentine’s Day.

I am currently “in a relationship” which, I suppose, automatically puts me into the “lucky ones” category on Valentine’s Day.  Yes, it is nice to be reminded that someone cares for me and that I care for someone else on Valentine’s Day, but how this warrants spending money I don’t have on throwaway gifts and eating chocolate in amounts that should be illegal is never something I’ve been able to wrap my head around.  Call me cynical, but do we really need a commercial holiday to remind us that we love the one we’re with?

You’re right.  Perhaps I need an attitude adjustment. That’s why, this year, I will commit to embracing the spirit of Valentine’s Day and I’m calling on all of my fellow cynics out there to join me. After all, someone has to keep the economy flowing on this heart-felt day.  Did you know, according to a 2011 U.S. National Retail Federation survey that “the average U.S. consumer is expected to spend $116.21 on Valentine’s Day gifts, meals, and entertainment?” And fret not all you single ladies.  Roughly 15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.

As even the most hardened cynic knows, flowers make us happy (and the more, the better).  In fact, research shows that the more flowers you receive, the greater the potential for happiness.  Need proof? In his article “An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotions:  Flowers” from the journal Evolutionary Psychology,  Dr. Haviland-Jones proposes that “science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, they have strong positive effects on our emotional well being.” Over the course of his study, the good doctor concluded that flowers cause receivers to express immediate, genuine, and “excited” smiles upon receiving flowers and that in the long-term, flowers prove to affect one’s mood positively.  His subjects reported feeling less depressed, anxious, and agitated after receiving flowers and exhibited a higher sense of general life satisfaction.  There’s nothing wrong with a little more general life satisfaction, right? Right. Now excuse me while I go order a dozen white roses for myself.

Don’t worry.  If I haven’t convinced you to look forward to Valentine’s Day yet, allow me to persuade you further with one word:  chocolate.  This delicious, delectable treat is something just about everyone loves.  Many of you probably already know that in addition to being tasty, chocolate actually has numerous health benefits. Eating chocolate (dark for best results) triggers the release of endorphins in the brain due to the presence of phenylethylamine, a chemical similar to amphetamine. In addition to making us feel happy, chocolate can also improves one’s physical health:  a flavonol in chocolate called epicatechin improves blood circulation and acts as an anti-oxidant.  Isn’t that great news!?

See?  Valentine’s Day is looking better already, right?  So this February 14, forget the Hallmark cards and the busy restaurants and instead grab your sweetie (or a good book), some chocolate, and a glass of your beverage of choice and toast to your health!