Tis the season for boxes of chocolate, GIANT teddy bears, and adorable conversation hearts. Everywhere you look there’s either some cute old couple, or a hot young one. Hands are intertwined in other hands, and you can feel the love from a mile away. Valentine’s for those couples is more than likely something special. But for people like you and I, the “single” people, Valentine’s normally doesn’t feel like it. So, here are two huge reasons why Valentine’s totally sucks.

1. Valentine’s Day is fake.

For some reason, there’s a stigma behind the reason of Valentine’s. Everyone thinks that just because you’re in a relationship that you must go all out for your significant other on this “special” day. Flowers, chocolates, maybe even some fancy dinner. But wait…if you’ve been in a committed relationship for years, everyone wants you to propose. There’s a need for an overabundance of love to be held back every other day of the year, and specifically saved for this one.

Your significant other could treat you horribly every other day, but treat you like an angel on Valentine’s. This is so backwards!! Valentine’s makes this treatment “okay” because “at least they did something special today”. Jesus calls us to love one another not just on Valentine’s Day, but every other day of the year as well. Failure to do so doesn’t make your love fake, but it does make it weak. True love is shown every day. It may be on purpose, or it may not. Love can be shown by simply asking, “Did you make it home okay? Did you eat? Have you prayed today? Here’s a scripture I think you’d love! Get some rest! Buckle up! Drink plenty of water!”. It’s not all about the boxes of chocolates or teddy bears. Valentine’s takes a powerful feeling, and replaces it with a material object; manifesting it into something fake.

2. It manipulates those who are single, and makes them feel worse.

When you’re constantly surrounded by couples, you can get a little lonely. One of the biggest downfalls of man is envy. We’re always wanting what isn’t ours, but once we escape that life it’s not hard to get sucked back in. For example, I’ve been single for probably two years now. I’m approaching college. I’ll be moving far away, and I’ll be pursuing a Pre –Med degree. I have standards that I won’t drop, and I know that hardly anyone has met those standards. It obviously sounds like I know I shouldn’t have a relationship at this point, correct? Yes. Nonetheless, I still want one. I see and hear about all these happy couples, and it pushes me to desire one.

When I’m not able to find a relationship, more than likely because God’s telling me no, it makes me feel less than everyone around me. I don’t feel pretty. I don’t feel approachable. Loveable. It takes every truth I know, and turns it into an insecurity. I begin to feel worse than I did after I ended my last relationship. This leads me to text an ex, or miss something that I shouldn’t miss. Just remember that you don’t need another person to be happy. Love yourself first, and build you up. It’ll all come in His timing.

So, when Valentine’s hits don’t let all the showy gestures, or current lack of love get to you. Just remember it’s a day, and it means absolutely nothing. Love in abundance every day. Not just February 14^th.