Ever since I can remember, I have loved Valentine’s Day.
Something about staying up all night covering my Valentine’s box with construction paper and writing all 25 of my classmates’ names on FunDips really built up my affection for the holiday.
Flash forward to me being a 19-year-old in college where, instead of my friends and I handing out candies to each other on Valentine’s Day, we usually exchange texts that look like, “OMG, did you know they were dating?” or “We get it, you found your soulmate.”
And while my feed being completely saturated with sappy sweetheart posts and pictures of flowers and chocolates are not my favorite things to see as a single person, I still love the holiday.
On the most basic level, my favorite color is pink, and as I’ve gotten older, red has also made its way into my wardrobe. Lucky for me, red and pink work overtime on Valentine’s Day, and some of the most iconic drops from brands happen around Valentine’s Day, which dangerously feeds my shopping addiction.
From Converse to SKIMS to Nike and even Target, you are guaranteed to find something decked out in hearts, bows, cherries, lips, or just classic pink and red. I personally have already raided the Target dollar section for their Valentine’s Day decor, which will most likely be up in my apartment far past Feb. 14.
On a much deeper level, though, I just love “love.” I always have.
Growing up as the youngest of four kids, I loved watching my siblings go through phases of love in high school and college — or what I thought was love at the time. I couldn’t wait until I got older and found a boyfriend who would shower me with Valentine’s Day gifts. Oh, how life can be so humbling.
Needless to say, one boyfriend, a couple “things” and a whole lot of crushes later, I still have managed to keep my love for this holiday alive.
It’s crazy to think that our collective society, especially in this day and age, dedicates only one day out of the year to celebrate love. In fact, to me, Valentine’s Day is one of the most wholesome days. Everyone always seems so jovial and full of love — or at least I do.
And you should, too, especially if you are single. Even if you’re stuck in a sticky situationship, hung up on your ex, completely and utterly alone, or somewhere in between, Valentine’s Day is for everyone, because love is truly everywhere.
So, go out there and buy that cute pajama set you’ve been eyeing, get that big box of chocolates, cozy up and watch your favorite rom-com. Or don’t. Either way, Valentine’s Day is still coming, and if you want to judge all the cringe-worthy couple posts with your other single friends, no one’s stopping you.
But as for me, I’m going to spend the day light-hearted, happy and full of love.
