Editorial

Valentine’s Day in Aylmer

In this edition of the Bulletin are some ideas for Valentine’s gifts. Shopping local is important to Aylmer, and so is showing appreciation. It is not news to anyone that commercializing days of appreciation like Valentine’s Day is common practice. But that’s not what the Bulletin is up to with these pages. 

On the part of these Aylmer businesses, there is a sincere love for everything local. Sure, buying symbols of appreciation works. Flowers, chocolate, dinners and massages are excellent expressions of love. So are breakfasts in bed, reading poems in the bath, foot rubs, and these are entirely non-commercial.

Some have commented that Valentine’s Day is an imposition to relationships, that showing a loved one they are special should be happening any day of the year – every day of the year, even! Well, sure! Nothing says I love you the way a surprise booking for a couples massage does, at any time of the year. 

It is in the small details that love is expressed and love is received. Kids and extended family are truly a physical result of love. And by extension, so are the daily routines of getting lunches ready or taking a loved one out for lunch – at any time of year.

The magic in getting school lunches ready day after day does get old. It’s real but doesn’t sparkle. There are also plenty of disillusioned people, neighbours even, who no longer believe in love. They may be alone February 14 or they may be carrying heavy burdens that no longer sparkle with magic. For these people, leaving a little reminder of love in their path is even more important. There is no rule about loving, no rule that says everyone must be treated like a king or queen on Valentine’s Day. The expectation of this is a killer for lonely people so the first thing is for the expectation to be dropped. And then, small steps to rekindle a love for life.

And so here is the utility of Valentine’s Day. It is really about magic and sparkle in our lives. No commercial business or pushy sales effort can light a spark for us. The local chocolatière or local flower shop can help us express the sparkle, though. 

And so, as the days get longer and that sun feels stronger, what is the sparkle in your world, dear reader? What gesture, small or grand, that you witnessed this February 14? Send in your stories of magic, those of your children and cousins, your spouses and parents. What magic lurks in Aylmer?