Valentine’s Day means something to all of us, even if you’re one of those people who believes it’s just a fake holiday companies made up to increase their sales numbers (I will admit that I fall under that category most of the time), so congratulations to them for outsmarting the entire country if that is the case. Regardless, Valentine’s Day means more than just giving candy away to your loved ones or the people who have influenced your life in a positive way. It’s a day where people come together and celebrate their love for one another, to appreciate those who have impacted your life.

Forget the candy, flowers, teddy bears, and any other present and remember the good times you had with your friends you no longer see. Remember your family and how much you would never ask to replace them. Remember your exes and be glad they are no longer a part of your life.

Remember the Valentine’s Day you spent alone but happy because being alone doesn’t always equate to sadness. Remember to be grateful to the people you appreciate most. It doesn’t have to be your girlfriend or boyfriend. It could be your parents, your siblings, your friends. Anyone you wouldn’t be able to imagine a life without.

Not every Valentine’s Day is going to mean something to you. I have those days when I don’t even remember which day it falls, and I feel like Topher Grace in “Valentine’s Day” when he thought it fell on a Thursday every year instead of February 14^th. Sometimes I forget the day exists until I go to the store and see all the excessive buckets of stuffed animals and heart-shaped boxes. Sometimes I know it’s Valentine’s Day, but I don’t care. I could have a test or a paper due, so the holiday is the last thing on my mind (that seems to happen a lot in college).

It could just mean a day where you spend your time watching B-rated sappy movies that make you want to hate the existence of the day all together. Or where you get together with a group of friends and hate on the day. Or you send yourself flowers just to feel worthy. Whatever works for you.

Just remember, there are people out there that appreciate you for all that you do and wouldn’t replace you for anything. If you’re in a bad relationship, a good relationship, or no relationship, just remember someone out there cares about you, is thinking of you, and appreciates you.

We all have someone, even if we think there is no one.