Valentine’s Day, which is observed on 14 of February, is upon us and people have started shopping for gifts to spoil their partners.
The question is, what kind of relationships warrant a Valentine's Day gift?
We live in an era where commitment and loyalty are not everyone’s cup of tea. Relationships have transitioned from being a public commitment of two people to a development of the types of romantic partnerships people indulge in.
Lately, talking stages, vibing, sneaky links, situationships, open relationships and good old-fashioned affairs are relatively common. These relationships often require zero to minimal commitment and often consists of casual sex and physical intimacy, casually getting to know one another and establishing whether you would like to 'take things to the next level'.
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Whether you are transactional relationships like using your partner for financial benefit or exaggerating your romantic feelings in hopes of getting some action, you should be aware that Valentine's Day is fast approaching.
You might have to get a gift or two or maybe three.
But, is it necessary to get a gift for someone you have not established a serious commitment with?
We got in touch with registered counselor Kaela Sussman, who spends time counseling people who are dating as well as premarital and married couples.
Kaela believes Valentine's Day has been too commercialised yet still thinks it is a special day that needs to be celebrated. “It is a day in which one can show their partner or their loved ones how important they are. The day is about also expressing love to people who aren’t necessarily aware of how you feeling,”
Kaela adds that Valentine's Day grants people the opportunity to show affection to people that they would like to commit to.
She believes gift giving on Valentine's Day is not limited to people in committed relationships as gift giving is a way that one can portray and receive love.
Kaela emphasizes the importance of communication when planning to gift someone you are still pursuing or in the talking stage with.
“For some people, one could give them a gift, and it is something they can appreciate. For others it might feel like too much too fast,” she stated, highlighting the necessity of communicating with the person you are in the early talking stages with to establish whether they appreciate giving or receiving gifts.
For affairs, situationships, and sneaky links, Kaela says the importance of the relationship will determine whether you are willing to give a gift or not and it can still be used as a form of showing love even with its discrepancy.
“If that is how a person shows love, then it would not matter the context they doing it in. “
