You Don’t Need A Valentine To Celebrate Valentine’s Day

For most of my young adult life, I have had a boyfriend to celebrate Valentine’s Day with. It has always been something I never had to think or worry about — until now. For the first time in a long time, I will be single this Valentine’s Day along with thousands of other women. And I’m okay with that.

I’m okay with it because being single on this day is not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. In fact, I think it calls for a celebration.

While couples will celebrate their love on this day and probably post an annoying amount of photos to prove it (sorry, but it’s true), us single people should be celebrating not only our love for who we have in our lives, but our love for ourselves.

Instead of having high expectations of what your boyfriend or girlfriend would plan for you on this day, you get to plan a day for yourself. Instead of being incredibly happy with another person, be incredibly happy with yourself. Instead of having to spend your hard earned money on a significant other, you get to choose how you spend your money, if any at all.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful feeling to be in love with another person but it’s also empowering as hell to be able to have the confidence and maturity to really love yourself wholeheartedly.

This Valentine’s Day is the day of celebrating you (although, everyday should be the day of celebrating you). You can sleep in and have all the covers to yourself. You can make your own breakfast the way you like it. You can plan brunch or dinner with your friends and not feel an ounce of pressure. You can even buy some real chocolate instead of those dumb chocolate roses (just kidding, they are kind of cute).

Many people despise Valentine’s Day. Maybe because it sometimes makes us feel like we are all alone, or like we are less cool or beautiful because of that. But we don’t have to feel this way every time we are single on February 14th. Because in reality, we aren’t alone!

Everyone has at least one person that they can share their fears and thoughts with. Everyone has at least one person that they feel safe with. And if you don’t feel like you have anybody, you will always have yourself. And that is pretty amazing. Valentine’s Day is just another day in a year. Valentine’s Day is just another day in your life. Valentine’s Day is 24 hours that you will live through: so why not live?

And live it well. Stop and look around at your surroundings. Really think about your life and how far you have come from your past struggles. Breathe in and let your lungs be filled with hope. Be happy you have the opportunity to live today. And be grateful for who you have in your life, not what you don’t have in your life. There is no difference between February 14th and February 15th except for your mentality (and the fact that on February 15th chocolate goes on sale). So, take full advantage of this day because it is a day in your life. And it could be a fantastic day if you let it.