The Un-Holiday Month

Did you know that February marks both International Boost Self Esteem Month and International Expect Success Month? These seem like awfully lofty goals for the average single gal at any one point and time, but to encourage two in one month? Geesh!

I will admit that I haven't done my research on either of these international observances. However, I would venture to guess that both International Boost Self Esteem Month and International Expect Success Month were the creation of a MAN. The timing of these observances, alone, tells me this fact. Think about it. No woman in her right mind would ever make February the month to aim for self esteem or expectation boosting. After all, it is among the most dreaded of all months for few simple reasons.

First, February falls in the dead of winter. The weather during this time of year is generally cold and wet making it one of the least tolerable for activity and exercise and most tolerable for mood swings and depression. As a result, by February most of us have long given up on the idea of actually keeping any of our January New Year's resolutions.

Seriously, how many resolutions are you still working toward at this very moment? Have you lost even 5 of that extra 15 pounds? Did you give up smoking? Have you saved any extra cash or paid down that credit card between January 1 and now? If you are anything like me, you're self esteem and expectations for success are at an all-time low by February. And any thinking woman would never bash another person over the head with those failures by promoting International Boost Self Esteem Month and International Expect Success Month in February.

February also has the distinction of being the shortest month of the year even during leap year. If the person who organized these observances was really serious about promoting his agenda, don't you think he would have picked a better month? March or July might have been better choices for boosting both self esteem and expectations. For one, both March and July boast 31 days and nicer weather. And, although there are other holidays in each of those months, there is nothing about either St Patrick's Day or the 4th of July that could possible take away from observing International Boost Self Esteem Month and International Expect Success Month.

This, of course, leads me to the obvious reason why February was the worst choice for International Boost Self Esteem Month and International Expect Success Month-- V-day. I can't even bring myself to say the word right now, but you know exactly which upcoming holiday I refer to with the words V-day. While I realize that a woman should not associate self esteem or success with having a date for V-day, it still happens. Boyfriendless, dateless, single women with absolutely no prospects in the foreseeable future don't want to even think about boosting self esteem and expectations during February. Instead, we want a pity party. We want to eat ourselves into oblivion with the chocolate heart that we purchased for ourselves. Cold, dark, miserable February is the perfect month for doing just this. I for one, plan to keep my February just as it was meant to be, leaving the more lofty goals for March.