Posted on February 21, 2012 by Kurt Shuster

Now that Valentine’s Day has come and gone once again, I can say what a lot of you have probably been thinking: I hate Valentine’s Day!

Somehow Hallmark and the powers that be have convinced us that we need to buy a bunch for our loved ones – flowers, greeting cards, a fancy dinner out – if we want them to think we really care, rather than doing something nice for them that doesn’t cost anything.

But shouldn’t we instead do kind things for each other because we truly care about them, rather than out of obligation for a specific day? Why do we need a special day for that? Even worse, why just one day? Can’t we spare a little more love – say, for a whole month?

Which is why I was so excited when I heard what coach Amanda Horne of Canberra, Australia decided to do when she turned 50 this February. Instead of asking for gifts, she asked her friends and family to donate to charity or volunteer for a cause and email her with the details of their “gift”.

Not one to think small, Amanda has decided to start a trend: turn every February into Fabruary, with the goal of starting an international movement for acts of kindness much like the highly successful Movember initiative has done for cancer research. So while there’s still time left this month, why not get started? Give a gift to your favorite charity, spend a few hours at your favorite volunteer agency, or just do a random act of kindness for a stranger. And when you’re done, post a note on Amanda’s Fabruary blog, telling her of your kind act. Not only will you be able to boast to your friends that you were one of the first contributors to what may someday be an international month-of-kindness, but more importantly, you’ll be helping to spread the meme of kindness and altruism – not just one day in February, but throughout the month.