Card for an absent Valentine

Just two weeks to go until Valentine's Day - and I think I've had enough of it already. I can fully understand why there is a growing market for 'anti-Valentine's Day' cards! The whole thing is getting a bit out of hand.

The sending of 'Valentines' - decorative little notes - began in Britain in the 19th Century and was a convenient way for a bashful young man to put his feelings into words without having to actually think what to say! By 1847, Esther Howlan had built up a little home-based business, selling her handmade Valentines in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Things have come a long way since those days, with Valentine's cards available for everyone under the sun - 'for my daughter', 'for my teacher'.....'from your dog'! I presume the idea is to make sure that nobody feels left out, but I can't honestly imagine that receiving a Valentine's card from one's furry friend would exactly boost one's self-espeem!

I'm afraid you won't find any such deviations from the original intention of 'Valentines' among my collection at Zazzle, though I have gone so far as to design a card (above) especially for a Valentine who is absent - for whatever reason!

The inside is left blank for your own message - if you're feeling poetic, 'missing you' would at least rhyme with 'sad and blue'.

At Greeting Card Universe, it already has a message inside - though, as ever, customers can easily change or delete the inside message if they wish.