... and then it's over

I had a profound moment of clarity (and depression) while waiting for my quadshotnonfatsugarfree latte today.

There was a rack filled with Valentine's-themed mugs, candies, coffees, cookies ... you name it, it was red or pink and had hearts and "Starbucks" stamped all over it.

But Valentine's Day is over.

And I thought: A week ago, I probably would have been excited to peruse those shelves of red-pink-white goodies ... but now it's over.

We spend so much time and energy (and lots and lots of money) "getting ready" for holidays, for single days out of the year that have no more hours in them than any other day ...

... and then it's over.

And we're stuck with 15 boxes of Christmas decorations, lights and sweaters with gaudy reindeer on them. A cupboard full of Valentine's Day-themed dishes. Pastel-dyed Easter eggs that will rot under the sofa for the next six months. Shamrocks, green plastic jewelry and clothes that beg people to kiss us 'cuz we're Irish ... which we can't excusably wear any other day of the year.

I think there may be a correlation between the amount of depression we're now seeing and the excitement and importance we place on single days ... only to realize, the day after, that although it may have been a nice day and a fun day, it probably didn't live up to the hype that the glossy store ads promised it would. The "stuff" -- all of it -- will get dusty, old, forgotten ... and the only thing, it seems, to counter the plunging emotional low of realizing that yet another hyped-up holiday is over is to begin anticipating the next one. Or maybe to buy the heavily discounted candy which, 24 hours earlier, would have cost three times as much. We've created our own cycle of bipolar disorder.

Valentine's Day is over. In the next couple days, I can probably get a nice red-and-white, heart-bedecked coffee mug for 50 percent off while I trip over all things St. Patrick and Easter ... and then those holidays will be over, too.

And, as a friendly reminder -- there are only 313 shopping days left 'til Christmas. Just in case you need something to anticipate in the long term. And then Christmas 2008 will be over, too.