Regardless of your relationship status, Valentine’s Day is more important than ever this year.
Words like “stressful” and “uncertain” don’t even begin to cover the current political state in our country. Turn on the news, open your twitter app, or even listen in on a coffee shop conversation and you’ll hear a lot of hateful, negative dialogue about the state of our world. The fear is spreading, and there is evidence of it everywhere: from Facebook articles to classroom discussions. Human rights are in jeopardy. Our environment is in danger. In short, people are scared.
Now more than ever, we need love. We need compassion, gratitude, and tenderness. Valentine’s Day is a holiday that revolves around love—and not just the romantic kind. This holiday doesn’t need to be dedicated to couples and fancy dinners (although there’s nothing wrong with taking that route). Instead, focus on the relationships that really matter: your parents, siblings, best friends. It’s about love, not being in love. Who says you need just one Valentine? Celebrate all the people you love.
It’s easy to roll your eyes at the chocolates, roses, and pink decorations that take over storefronts during the month of February. It’s easy to get a little selfish. Our first thoughts can sometimes be “today sucks” because the entire holiday seems like a reminder that it’s another February 14th, and you’re still single. There are plenty of movies and anti-Valentine’s traditions that preach about the evil nature of the holiday. Even though it can be hard, try to avoid being cynical about the day and all the happy couples around you. But, if you’re finding it hard to shake that eye-roll attitude, check out this article.
This year, try and celebrate Valentine’s Day a little differently. Remember, the world doesn’t need any more negativity.
There are so many things we can each do to spread the love. Leave a kind note for your roommate. Call your grandparents. Go to lunch with your friends. Get an extra coffee for your classmate. Show the people in your life how grateful you are to have them around. And when you’ve finished doing that, go out into the world and share some of that love with strangers. Pay it forward in the Starbucks drive through or write something uplifting to share with the world. Hey, leave a penny heads up on the sidewalk. Do whatever you can to show the world some love during this time.
Single or not, we could all use it.
