Valentine's Day: Celebrating Love and Intimacy Isn’t Limited to Couples

By Richard Avdoian, MS, MSW, CSP

Following divorce, individuals tend to avoid difficult situations and relationships.  Valentine’s Day happens to be one of those difficult situations that tugs at our hearts, strains our emotions and drums up good and bad memories.

Use this time to thaw frozen feelings and let go of the feelings of anger and resentment that have restricted your ability to experience love and the pleasures of life.

Intimacy is one of the most significant human needs.  Intimacy is not limited to a spouse or partner but rather encompasses all facets of life.  One can be intimate with our parents, children, friends, nature and the world around us.

Read on for tips to entertain yourself and celebrate this Valentine’s Day.

Focus on celebrating Love in all aspects of life.

• Embrace nature
  • Take a nature walk or hike either alone or with a friend, child or family member.

• Explore your hometown or surrounding area
  • Visit a tourist site that you either have never visited or one you visited as a child
  • Again, consider sharing this experience with a friend, child or family member

• Take in a movie or the art museum
  • Spurge have a bucket of popcorn, candy and a soda
  • Seek out the beauty in the vast number of paintings, sculptures, etc.

• Pamper yourself
  • Schedule a massage
  • Go to a expensive restaurant and treat yourself. Splurge. Have dessert and a drink

• Take a road trip
  • A day-trip or over-night
    • Crank up the radio and enjoy the journey
    • Bring along your favorite tunes
    • Make frequent stops to take in the sights
    • Visit a friend
    • Select a specific destination – historical landmark, special event, etc.

• Organize a social gathering
  • Use your home or ask a family member or friend to use their place
  • Invite family and friends who would appreciate something to do on Valentine's Day

• Help others
  • Use the day to volunteer at a nursing home, shelter, food bank, or soup kitchen.  People need people. Helping others sharing an intimate experience can be extremely rewarding and healing. 

You are never too old to establish or re-establish intimate support and social relationships with family, friends and new acquaintances.  To be actively engaged in relationships with others is known to stimulate the production of endorphins, which is the body’s ignition switch.  This ignition switch stimulates joyful, loving and playful energy.

To celebrate love and intimacy on Valentine’s Day and every other day, one must commit to exploring and actively living life each moment, maintain a positive proactive attitude, and embrace all facets of life.

© Richard J. Avdoian, MS, MSW, CSP (2009)

Men’s Divorce Coach

Located in Metro St. Louis, Richard works with men who are in the divorce process and with men who are committed to living healthy lives, enhancing their personal relationships and achieve their goals.  Richard can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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