Valentine’s Day: the most hated holiday for any single girl. Over the past few months, I’ve been absolutely dreading the day, knowing that I’m painfully single and will have to witness all of the corny and cheesy Valentine’s Day couple posts on social media, along with the excessive PDA around campus that exacerbates my loneliness. But lately, I’ve been able to look at Valentine’s Day with a new lens.
I used to see Valentine’s Day as the worst day of the year. I resented happy couples and desperately longed to be in a relationship. I eventually realized that this wasn’t a healthy way to look at life; I learned that if I’m not happy being single, I won’t be happy in a relationship. I shouldn’t depend on a man for my happiness. While it definitely took time, I was able to accept the single girl life, and surprisingly, I’m happy with it. I began admiring relationships, knowing that I’ll one day find the person for me. I don’t mind waiting until I find my soulmate, because I know that one day, the right person will come.
I’ve had a history of terrible Valentine’s Days. From my situationship texting me for the first time at 7:30pm on Valentine’s Day two years ago to last year when all of my roommates’ ex-boyfriends showed up to our apartment with flowers and chocolates (I wish I was joking) while my ex took an edible and flaked on our Valentine’s Day plans because he “forgot”. I seem to always have a crappy February 14th, until I realized that this is entirely in my control.
We as a society put so much emphasis on Valentine’s Day and how it’s supposed to be this perfect, romance-filled day for couples. I fully disagree with this. Recently, I’ve began adapting the mindset that Valentine’s Day isn’t for couples, but it’s just a day to spend with those you love. This Valentine’s Day, I’m planning on buying all of my friends flowers, because they deserve the biggest bouquets possible. My friends have always been there right by my side through every up and down and have loved me more than any man ever has, so why do I feel the need to spend my Valentine’s Day moping around about being single and not having a man that loves me rather than spending it with the girls who love me the most? Because of the societal expectations that we feel so obligated to conform to.
If you’re single on Valentine’s Day, my recommendation is to fully embrace it. Spend the day with people you love. Whether it’s your parents or your friends or even your pets, Valentine’s Day isn’t a day to celebrate couples. It’s a day to celebrate the unconditional love that we have for others. Ignore the societal expectations that are constantly shoved down our throats, and spend the day however you want to.