Hello fellow singles. Listen, I know. This past weekend was a toughie. You probably had several of these thoughts going through your head. “Really, her? He left me for her?!” “She’s not single and I am?!” “Am I ever going to find love?!” Well, I am here to tell you to stop. First off, thoughts 1 and 2 have their own blaming-the-other-woman-even-though-men-are-the-enemy issues, but regardless of that, stop letting yourself be dictated by others expectations. Valentine’s Day is a day of love. Unlike other languages, the word love in English can apply to a variety of relationships. Use this to your advantage. The deepest, most profound love can be found within friendships and familial bonds. That kind of love is unconditional. There’s no transactions, no expectations. Your family and friends can see you at your worst and bring you back to your best. Sure, some long term romantic relationships may get to that point, but why force yourself into the belief that anything like that is necessary for your happiness?
Think back to all the expectations you had as a kid about what it was going to be like as an adult. Every time you have reached any of those expectations, were they ever as groundbreaking as you imagined? Sure, romantic love is great and something that will eventually come for everyone. But stop letting a capitalist, corporate-created holiday send you into a tailspin of self hatred over your current relationship status. Instead, let Valentine’s Day be a day to celebrate all kinds of love in your life.
