For the longest time, I was one of those people who got a bit sad on Valentine’s Day. Our society, as well as popular media, always portrayed this “holiday” as something that was reserved ONLY for those who had a loved one to share it with. I’m sure everyone of us has been here before – you have some kind of outlandish fantasy that maybe you’ll be finally surprised by your true love with chocolate-covered strawberries or showered in roses from your mystery lover and everything will be just PEACHY as you both skip off into the sunset. I’ve been there, and it hasn’t happened yet, so what’s a girl to do in the meantime? Well, keeping this in mind, I have come to find, especially this year, that perhaps we’ve been misconstruing the meaning of Valentine’s Day all along.

This is the first time in a long time where I did not have a Valentine on the 14^th of this month. Strangely I wasn’t all torn up about it like I used to be. However, not having a Valentine motivated me not only to be my own Valentine (#selflove), but also to dedicate that day to small acts of kindness. I wished everyone I came in contact with a Happy Valentine’s Day. I bought a bag of lollipops and handed them out to friends, people at work, and even Amanda at the PLA reception desk. I called my grandpop to wish him a Happy Valentine’s Day. I made a donation to the American Heart Association, and I read over my sister’s paper for her when she asked. I have never felt more wholesome and genuine than I did on this Valentine’s Day, and that led me to contemplate what this holiday truly is about.

You see, I have come to find that the way we, as a collective, view Valentine’s Day is superficial for the sake of properly justifying the holiday. True, it is a day that celebrates those in romantic relationships.  But I have come to realize that this holiday goes much deeper than that. February 14^th is a day to recognize and thank those who have impacted your life in a positive way, whether it be through a mere text message or even a small gift. This then extends past romantic relationships, including friends, family, roommates, neighbors, and teachers. There are many people out there that have touched my life in a wonderful way, and the least I can do to thank them is make them feel special on Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is just as much about showering a loved one in gifts as it is going out of your way to make someone’s day a little bit brighter. Next Valentine’s Day, I encourage you all to reach out to those people in your life, romantic or not, and let them know you were thinking of them. I assure you, it will bring you more joy than some chocolates would any day of the week.