As I am writing this it is Valentine’s Day, and I, like many other people, don’t have any plans. But unlike other years, I’m okay with it.
In elementary school I liked Valentine’s Day. We got to exchange silly cards and chocolates and maybe, just maybe, the cute boy two desks over would be my secret admirer.
But as I got older, and there were very few secret admirers, I grew to dislike Valentine’s Day. It seemed like because I didn’t have a boyfriend I was a failure.
It seemed like Valenine’s Day was just a day for all the happy couples to rub my face in the fact that I was alone.
A few years in a row, my friends and I would make a fort in our living room and watch scary movies. In our minds that was the exact opposite of Valentine’s Day.
But really, it was a celebration of relationships, they were just friendships and not romance is all. So maybe we weren’t as opposite as we thought we were.
The next stage in my feelings for love day were that it was a stupid holiday anyway. I told myself I didn’t like Valentine’s Day because it was a Hallmark holiday, that roses and chocolates were sappy and the whole endeavour was sickeningly romantic. I told myself it was shallow to want a declaration of love like that. I told myself that we should be celebrating love every day, not just once a year.
And though I still believe that is true, I’m lying to myself if I say I don’t want a Valentine’s Day. I love flowers, chocolate and reasons to celebrate. I love going out for dinner or going on adventures. I love spending time with the people that are important to me.
I do want a romantic Valentine’s Day at some point. But this year, for the first time, I’m okay that I won’t have it this time around.
I have lots of love in my life that I celebrate as much as possible. Every time I call my mom, or raise a glass with my friends I am celebrating companionship and relationships. I am saying thank you for loving me, and I love you too!
This weekend I had a friend come and visit from Pincher Creek. We ate good food and did as much exploring as possible given the weird weather. We laughed, we talked.
We celebrated our friendship. It’s not just anyone who will spend the money to fly out here for the weekend.
So, I won’t get a Valentine’s Day with someone special this year.
But I have the rest of the year to have days full of love with all the people I do have in my life.
To all of the people yesterday who were alone like me, whether it be because you are single, or because your loved one was away from home, or maybe because you just don’t do Valentine’s Day for whatever reason, I hope you find a way to celebrate the love some other way.
Because I think that no matter what form you have it in your life, love should be celebrated.
Just my personal opinion, there should be more hugs in the world.
For the sake of tradition, I might watch some horror movies tonight anyway. And have pizza.
You have to celebrate loving yourself too right?
