Celebrate Valentine Day

Celebrate Valentine’s Day

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Offices all across the metro will be a little brighter Friday, as thousands will receive flowers just before Valentine’s Day.

“Before today ends we will send out over 1,000 deliveries,” said Tom Boesen, of Boesen the Florist. “We usually do just around 100 deliveries on a normal day.”

Boesen and his family have been a part of the flower business since 1923 and needless to say he appreciates the busy weekend.

“It’s the lover’s holiday,” said Boesen. “Us guys pretend like we are forced to do this out of guilt but the guys that come love this and want to do it.”

Boesen makes a great point, but why is this the case? Why do people feel forced? Why do they pretend not to like doing nice things for others?

We tracked down a relationship expert to get some answers. We picked his mind on the importance of Valentine’s Day for a healthy relationship.

Why is it important for couples to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

"Oh yeah it is. One of the thing people wonder a lot is 'Do you think about me when I am not there?' I've worked with thousands of people, men and women, in relationships here and that is something that I hear something I hear a lot. I wonder is he or she thinks about me when I am not even around. This is a way to prove it. Yeah I thought of you and I do think of you,” said Dr. Dave Grove, clinical psychologist.

Most people will acknowledge that Valentine’s Day is a very commercial holiday but yet we will still buy gifts. Is there something programmed in us to buy things to show our affection?

"Yeah. It’s one of the love languages. Showing that you are willing to use resources that you could do something selfish with, which a lot of people do. It's a way to show you're willing to take some of your resources and use them as an expression of your love for that person. Most of the time it's symbolic,” said Dr. Grove.

Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, so a lot of people will get flowers Friday at work. Why is it so important to send those packages to our significant other’s workplace?

"When you get something at work for example a bouquet or flowers you're not only hearing from the person loves you expressing it. But you get validation of that relationship from your friends, others around you and your co-workers. Some places it's a status symbol if you get a nice bouquet. But it's a way to validate it to the people that are important to you,” said Dr. Grove.

Is there a negative to buying gifts that are too big for Valentine’s Day?

“Valentine's Day should be an extension of a relationship that already exists and that you have an ongoing expression of love for somebody. If you're lukewarm and then you think you're going to buy a big Valentine's present, or have a big party or something, it doesn't work,” said Dr. Grove.