It’s that time of year again. It’s starting to get colder, the first snow is upon us, and the holidays have arrived. This time of year, right as Thanksgiving grows near, everybody starts to warm up, despite the dropping temperatures. People are in the giving mood, being thankful for what they have, and spending the extra time with loved ones to show how much they mean to them.
This time of year also reminds us of whom we don’t have. Picture the first snow, so white, crisp, and sparkling. Then picture yourself with warm socks, cuddled in blankets, next to a fire, with a nice cup of hot chocolate. It’s suddenly 2 a.m. and a Kay Jewelers commercial comes on, the one where the guy surprises the girl with a ring, and you’re sitting there thinking, “I am forever alone.”
You suddenly realize: you don’t have that special someone to share this time with. There is no one to take home to the parents, no one to go ice-skating with, and no one to cuddle up with during a cold winter night. I think it’s safe to say we have all felt this way one time or another. We start looking for someone to share these special times with, because let’s face it; no one wants to be alone during the holidays.
This, my friends, is what I would like to call, “Wifey Season.” More commonly, Wifey Season seems to be directed towards those hard-to-get guys who suddenly feel the need to get a girlfriend once the holidays approach. There are various nicknames for this time of year, and more specifically this way of life that we find ourselves living, but I don’t think the blame is all on the guys. Like I said, nobody wants to be alone during the holidays and this includes girls. Wifey Season, in a girl’s sense, is when a girl is on the lookout for that perfect guy, or when she simply wants to be with someone, wanting to be “wifed up.”
The way I see it, there are two types of single girls during Wifey Season. The first type is the independent, don’t-need-a-man-to-feel-whole, party-hard, study-harder, friends-until-the-end type of girl. This girl is single and loving every minute of it. This girl doesn’t want a relationship because it only complicates things, and she doesn’t want the commitment because it’s just too much to handle. When Wifey Season approaches, she’s the first to say she doesn’t need any man to make her holidays complete, and swears up and down that she will not fall for the charming guy that’s had a change of heart. However, once Wifey Season is in full swing, usually after Thanksgiving, this girl will start to question her way of life. After spending so much time with family, she starts to soften up, and thinks, “Why not? If the right guy comes along, why shouldn’t I be happy?” And thus, Wifey Season commences.
The second type of girl is newly single, always-had-a-hand-to-hold, believes-in-soul-mates, book-smart, street-smart, doesn’t-let-the-past-make-her-bitter type of girl. This girl is more resistant to Wifey Season than the naked eye would think. She is really hoping to regain ties with her friends and family, and the holidays are a perfect time to do so. After always having been in a relationship, she finally tells herself that she needs to find who she is and embrace what she already has. This girl does not know that Wifey Season has affected her until it’s already in full swing. A guy comes along and she will claim they’re “just friends,” and at this point she believes it. Then after classes are out for winter break and the stress of exams is over, she will find herself wanting that relationship that she’s always had in the past.
So, why is Wifey Season considered a season? The answer is that it is merely a period of time. This period of time starts around Thanksgiving and typically ends in March, before spring break and at the very latest St. Patrick’s Day. The weather starts to turn warmer, activities that aren’t best suited for relationships start to arise, and the feeling of being tied down becomes unbearable. The excitement of spring break, the parties, and the separation usually take their toll on relationships. Just as no one wants to be alone during the holidays, everyone wants to be single for what March has in store. My best advice regarding Wifey Season is to just recognize it. Don’t deny what is there, and acknowledge its presence. Nobody is a fool during Wifey Season and shouldn’t feel like one, it’s just a natural instinct related to weather and certain holidays.