Let me tell you.
I should probably first confess that I have not always been a fan of Valentine's Day. I was always annoyed with the gross couples in high school who always wanted to have their hands all over each other, and then shelled out $40+ for some huge, hideous stuffed animal that their significant other would have to drag around school all day, stare goopily at in every class, and take up everyone else's space with. And that was just the stuffed animal. There was usually also a few enormous boxes of chocolate, and heinous numbers of balloons that obstructed vision, and tended to pop when they hit the lights. (I'm very afraid of popping balloons.) Of course, it didn't help that I'm Mormon and therefore forbidden to date, and that I also had a propensity for balking in the face of PDA that I was expected to participate in, and also tended to reject anyone who tried to date me. Not like that was a huge number of people, but ya know, it happened from time to time. I have also been known to say that I don't like the idea of people waiting for holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries to celebrate love, because shouldn't it be celebrated all year? (Now I see my own logical fallacy: ex. I love Christmas, but we sure as heck don't treat any other day of the year like Christmas.)
However, my attitude about it has completely changed. And for the better, I'm sure. No, I'm not dating anyone. No, I'm not "almost dating" anyone. No, I don't see this changing any time in the near future. BUT I do see it happening some time in the future, and I think that that is something worth looking forward to.
On Facebook, I saw a lot of people posting statuses about hating Valentine's Day, referring to it as "Singles Awareness Day," and even someone who wore all black and then went to an Anti-Valentine's Day party. And that's okay; if it makes you happy to sneer at a holiday dedicated to love, so be it. Good for you. Do what makes you happy. Those just aren't the things that make me happy.
I would hate to think that I shouldn't be able to enjoy Valentine's Day until I am happily dating or married to someone. I would hate even more to think that I should be miserable on such a day because of my relationship status. Could I feel better about myself by being irritated at and speaking out against all the people who are, bless their hearts, so happily situated? I mean, I would hate to burst any bubbles here, but that just doesn't work. There's no happiness in trying to devalue someone else's happiness.
Instead, I'd like to make a suggestion, and that is this: Valentine's Day isn't necessarily about celebrating relationships, it's about celebrating love. It's about celebrating the fact that I love my family, that I love my roommates, that I love Girl Scout Samoas cookies (and Samoas ice cream!); that I love books, and sunshine, and flip flops, and green grass, and friendship, and good food, and swimming pools, and chick-flicks. It's about celebrating the fact that love is possible. Maybe I'm not dating somebody right now, but is that any reason to ignore everything else that I love, and not be excited for when love does come along? I know I'm risking sounding like the BYU stereotypical marriage-rabid coed, but I'm pretty sure I'm right here. (And I'm not marriage-rabid, thank you very much.)
Why not listen to love songs? Why not have happy little hearts everywhere? Why not be happy about life and love and everything that is awesome? Because I'm bitter about not being in a relationship? I'm sorry, but how petty and shortsighted is that!
It's like being miserable at your birthday party because you're not allowed to eat your cake yet. Well sorry, people. It's my party, and I will be freaking happy if I want to. :)
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