Valentine’s Day: Celebrating New Beginnings

Whether Valentine’s Day was a non-event or a big celebration, this holiday can often be a difficult one for people that are divorcing or divorced.  With social media and television so present in people’s daily lives, it’s the unique individual who can ignore the hype and pretend the holiday does not exist.  And it’s the truly unusual person who does not experience some form of Valentine’s Day FOMO (“fear of missing out”). 

While the enlightened person experiencing this discomfort may turn to their therapist and/or best friend, express their grief and feelings and move on more comfortably, it’s not that easy for some people.  For many, even buying and purchasing Valentine’s for their children to bring to school or seeing the rows of Valentine cards in the local drug store may cause pain.  Even those who have already moved on in their lives may be disappointed when their new “significant other” does not rise to the occasion. 

As part of the divorce process, parents map out a shared schedule for many holidays and special events.  Birthdays, vacations, days off from school, Halloween, and many obscure celebrations are thoughtfully considered.  People painstakingly divide and allocate these special days.   Valentine’s Day, however, is never on the list.  Yet, the day can be a difficult one for so many people experiencing divorce.