Don’t Forget Valentine’s Day

By Andy Kober

A quick check of your calendar reveals that Valentines Day is Saturday.
I am reminding all of you husbands, and perhaps some boyfriends, that Saturday is Valentines Day and if you are not prepared you still have time to make plans to show that special woman in your life how much you love her.
All you guys out there should know the three most important days of the year that you must remember are anniversary, birthday and Valentines Day. It is perfectly acceptable for her to forget you on one of those days, but you dare not forget her. While that might not be fair, it is just the way life is – especially married life.
Though time is running short you still have an opportunity to get something meaningful for that special woman in your life. Meaningful does not necessarily equate to being horribly expensive and should not include having to obtain a loan.
If you became involved with a high-maintenance woman, it is on you to find a gift that she will like. But most women are not like that. Instead, for most women it is truly the thought – the fact that you remembered the anniversary, birthday, or in this case Valentines Day — counts more than the cost. This does not mean that gifts without some thought or mean are acceptable because they are not and worse they are clear signals that you forgot.
FLOWERS, most especially roses, are always acceptable but should be accompanied by something else. The same can be said for dinner at a nice restaurant, which is not to be mistaken for a low budget establishment. If you take that special woman in your life to McDonalds, you are blatantly asking for whatever happens.
At one time, dinner and a movie accompanied by a gift were a good choice, provided the movie was one that she would enjoy, but the offerings at theaters today often make attending one a lesser option.
The ubiquitous sweet treats are always popular, but like flowers, they tend not to last very long. Picking sweets that she will not feel guilty eating can pose a problem as well.
Most women love manicures and pedicures so taking her to such a place is always acceptable but you must sit there while she is having it done, there is no slipping out to the nearest sports bar. And afterwards be sure to compliment how nice her nails look. But this, too, should be accompanied by a gift.
When it comes to gifts — rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces all work well for Valentines gifts and in my experience the more unusual selections seem to work better. It could prove difficult for her to show a pretty new bauble to friends only to find another woman with an identical bauble. So try to think outside the box.
THOSE are my suggestions to help you make her feel special all over again, and all for the price of this newspaper.
You can thank me later.
That’s my opinion.
A newspaper columnist for over 35 years, Andy Kober can be reached by email at andykober@hotmail.com