Sweetest Day or Hallmark scam?

Everyone keeps reminding me that something called Sweetest Day is coming up on Sunday. The radio, television commercials, and store newspaper ads are all bombarding us and trying to get us to buy something for that special someone on Oct. 17. Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that was reserved for Feb. 14. And even then, I don't think you should have to wait for one (now two) days out of the year to tell someone that you love them or that you think about them.

I first came across this holiday in 2006 after my parents divorced. Before then, I never even heard of such a monstrosity. For those that don't know, Sweetest Day was started 84 years ago by a candy maker named Herbert Birch Kingston as an act of philanthropy to spread goodwill to everyone, including the elderly, orphaned and sick. Though ol' Herb might have had the best of intentions, as history has shown us, every deed done with good intentions has the opportunity to become a complete disaster. In the case of Sweetest Day, that is certainly the case.

Though I meay seem like a jerk for speaking out against Sweetest Day, a quick glance around the Internet sphere will show you that I am not alone. Infact, there is one Facebook "fan" page that simply calls itself "F!@# Sweetest Day"

Now, to be fair, I'm not totally heartless. I just find showering folks with gifts just for the sake of it is rather dull. But, for those who feel so inclinded to join the dozens of folks out there who must rush out for that perfect gift the night before Sweetest Day, often crowding the self checkout lanes at the grocery store, do yourself a favor and take the GF out for a nice romantic evening instead. She'll thank you in the end just for thinking about her.

And to all the ladies out there, don't be too mad if your boyfriend or husband doesn't come home with an armful of gifts. It is, afterall, just another day. And we love you just as much as we do the other 364 days out of the year.

D.L.