Growing up, Valentine’s Day was one of my favorite holidays, mainly because I loved eating candy and picking out cards for everyone in my class. I remember having a heart attack every time I’d give my crush a somewhat risky card. There was one time in 4th grade I gave this guy a Lizzie McGuire card that said, “You’re delish.” I’m not even joking, that’s what it said. I’m only now realizing how creepy it is for a 10-year-old to refer to another kid as “delish.”
But the main point is that I love Valentine’s Day, even though I’ve always found myself single once Feb. 14 rolls around.
I get it. Being single isn’t always fun. But your relationship status in no way indicates that Valentine’s Day isn’t for you or that it should become the one day you feel sorry about yourself and the fact that you’re perpetually single.
I mean, you could do that, but frankly that sounds way more pathetic than being single in the first place. So in my quest to not be all that pathetic, I’m going to continue celebrating Valentine’s Day the way my inner 10-year-old would — minus the “you’re delish” cards.
It wasn’t even February before I started decorating my apartment in whatever heart-patterned junk I could find at the dollar store. Granted, according to my friend, slapping glittery hearts on the wall doesn’t count as being festive. But I’d argue it’s the thought that counts. And nothing says “Happy Valentine’s Day” quite like the stuffed monkey holding a heart that’s now sitting in the middle of the dining room table.
In terms of buying cards, not having a boyfriend works in my favor because I’m the most unromantic person you will ever meet. This means I can skip over the mushy cards meant for a significant other and head straight for the BFF ones at the Hallmark store. All those have kittens instead of sappy quotes on the front, so BFF cards are the way to go.
I’ve spent the past few weeks in search of the perfect card for my friends and I can’t even begin to tell you how satisfying it is when you finally find The One. I always imagined when I wrote about finding “The One” I’d be referring to my future husband and not a card with cats on the front, but nothing beats a cute kitten.
While it can be easy to feel lonely on Valentine’s Day, just know that you don’t need a relationship to celebrate. Hell, just go to the store and buy yourself a box of chocolates and drink a glass (or two) of wine. The day only lasts 24 hours; you might as well raise a glass to that and remember that being single isn’t actually the end of the world.
And then when it’s all over, you can indulge yourself even more by getting 50 percent off chocolate the next day. Now that’s true love.
My take: All you need are kittens and candy to celebrate this holiday.
Reach writer Elizabeth Alvarado at opinion@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @idkelizabeth
