Don’t get me wrong. I like getting greeting cards. They brighten my day, especially when it’s unexpected.

My objection is to the forced celebratory holidays that seem to require attention to people important to us. Take Valentine’s Day, for example. Billions of dollars spent annually on marketing a day when we are supposed to shower our loved one with flowers, chocolates and dinner. Seriously? If you really love someone, shouldn’t you be demonstrating it on a regular basis? Do you need the calendar to tell you to express yourself by purchasing roses at greatly inflated prices?

Am I missing something?

My children are not allowed to celebrate Mother’s Day. If you want to take me out for breakfast or buy me flowers, I tell them, there are 364 other days in the year when you can do so. If it’s done because of some underlying obligation, it doesn’t really mean much anyway. And if your mom has passed or you never were able to become a mother, the days leading up to it can be downright cruel. Same for Father’s Day. Sort of like Valentine’s Day when you are alone. I could go on, but you get the picture.

I love traditions. Christmas brings me great joy, for instance. But even that is something I keep in my heart throughout the year. Whether you celebrate Jesus or Santa or both, that joy is something you should feel every day – not just on December 25th.

New Year’s is another one. I’m all for setting goals and making resolutions. But shouldn’t we be doing that all of the time? I want to be kissed at midnight, but not only once a year because the calendar demands it. It’s a nice way to usher in any day of the year!

If you care for someone, don’t wait for a designated 24-hour period to show them. Send the card. Buy the flowers. Say ‘I love you.’ Better yet, give the gift of your time and attention. Why wait for a Hallmark holiday? Make the ordinary extraordinary. Everyday.