Waithera@NtarasiPlay

A few years back, Valentine’s Day was a big deal in Nairobi. Women adorned themselves with pretty red outfits and some men also wore red shirts, jackets or ties.

Flower vendors decorated the streets with red roses (both real and plastic) and teddy bears with love hearts flew off the shelves on Valentine’s week, along with chocolate. Eateries were busy. Love and expectation was in the air.

When the Valentine’s Day skeptics spoke up loudly enough, the streets and eateries stopped looking that red on February 14.

Lovers of Valentine’s Day began to make their celebration of love less obvious and more private. Some even choose to postpone it by a day or two.

These days, two lovebirds, walking hand in hand, in red, on the streets, on Valentine’s Day, are a rare sight to behold. They may even elicit looks of amusement.

Is it wise to drop the culture of celebrating your love on Valentine’s Day? Before you make a decision, consider this.

Great relationships don’t just happen. They are built based on the amount of effort we put into these relationships. Valentine’s Day gives us the opportunity to anticipate, plan and experience quality time at least once in the month of February.

Forget the hype about getting expensive gifts and buying high end dinners. I am talking about real quality time with your significant other, doing for each other things that you both enjoy (whether a lot of money is available for spending, or not). Valentine’s Day is the time to speak your bae’s love language generously. 

If you like gifts, get them a thoughtful gift. If they enjoy quality time with you, spend some hours with them, doing something meaningful and enjoyable.

If they like physical touch, spend time loving their bodies. If they like affirmation, tell them all the nice things you can think of, in unique ways, such as poetry or even a handwritten letter.  If you have a nice voice, you can sing their praises.

If they like acts of service, spend time being of service to them. When you speak your hun’s love language on Valentine’s Day, you earn love points.