Each year, as Valentine’s Day draws near, florists and chocolatiers alike get ready for their busy season, producing an average of 198 million roses and 58 million pounds of chocolate candy for all of the love-struck couples celebrating the occasion. However, Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be a holiday only for those who have significant others to call their “Valentine.” Valentine’s Day should be a holiday celebrating love of all kinds, even if it is love for yourself.
On average, only 14% of women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day, while the rest of us sit in our bedrooms crying while eating an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s and watching The Notebook…not like I’m speaking from personal experience or anything… Since when did being single and being alone become a bad thing? I believe that all single millennial women should strive to make that 14% a larger margin. We should all strive to treat ourselves with love and respect before we can set out to find a significant other to do the same. It is weird to me that on 364/365 days of the year, young single women feel empowered and independent and free when it comes to their single relationship status. However, on this one, all powerful, overbearing day, women feel sad and lonely just because the day is marked for those with “Valentines”. Who ever said it isn’t okay to be your own Valentine, send yourself flowers and treat yourself to a nice box of chocolates? Valentine’s Day should be a day dedicated to all kinds of love, not just the love within a romantic relationship. Kids in elementary schools across the country give Valentine’s cards and candy to all of their friends and classmates. At what age did it become not socially acceptable to give Valentine’s to everyone in your life, including yourself? I’m not bashing all of the people who do have someone to call their Valentine on this coming February 14th, I’m just calling to action all of the single ladies to make this a holiday we can all enjoy. If there is anything I’ve learned about being single, it’s that being alone doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be lonely. Not being tied down in a relationship allows to take time to love yourself, your friends and your family. If you are like me and you are celebrating this Valentine’s Day as a single lady, please buy yourself flowers, treat yourself to a spa day, write your parents a love letter, buy your best friend a box of chocolates. Who knows, maybe next year you will be too focused on a significant other to give any Valentine’s Day love to the other important people in your life.