Every year Valentine's Day comes and goes. Stores are stocked with flowers, candy and teddy bears. Men are rushing out to stores to find the perfect necklace for their loved ones and planning the perfect dinner date for their special someone. My question for you is why do we put so much pressure on one day?
The simple answer would be because we remember what it felt like to be the one person in high school who didn't receive a candy gram or valentine on Feb. 14th and we were desperately trying to avoid that feeling.
This year, I got to relive those moments as student organizations on Samford's campus decided to sell candy and flowers for their philanthropies. As someone who did not buy and did not receive any this year, I can easily tell you how much of a a relief it is to have been single this Valentine's Day.
This is the first year in a long time that I was actually single on Valentine's Day and didn't have to budget for a gift, pick out the perfect date outfit or think about anything. Instead I could spend time studying, working or eating junk food with friends. And it was honestly, my favorite Valentine's Day yet.
I spent my night eating pizza with my sorority sisters as we freaked out over the latest This Is Us episode. I loved being single this year. I loved going to Target the day after and buying all the candy that was on sale. I loved treating myself to a gift that I actually wanted and I loved the flowers that I received from family.
I feel for bad for those of you who wasted money on another stuffed animal. I feel sorry for those who put to much pressure on one day and ended up fighting, but I'm happy for the friends and family who were able to celebrate their loved ones. Don't feel bad for me because I was single. Don't pity me because I didn't have romantic plans. Valentine's Day was just another Tuesday for me this year. And I am 110% okay with that.
Being single during this time in my life has taught me so much about myself. I am not lonely. I can make decisions solely based off of what I want and need. I can "flirt" with guys without second guessing myself. And if I go a couple of days without wearing makeup and only wearing t-shirts it's not disappointing anyone because I have no one to impress.
Right now I am learning how to love myself, and there's nothing wrong with that. There's a time and place for everything and right now is a time that I am meant to be single. This way I can be more intentional in my friendships and focus on career choices. I might be ready to date and the Lord has someone whose perfect for me, but for now only time can tell and I don't have to fear or stress about being single during a holiday because it's not the end of the world. Embrace yourself. Embrace being single.
