I’ll be candid, I think cuffing season is kind of overrated. I think the idea of having someone to do fun winter activities with is great, and I understand why it’s such a popular idea to adhere to, but I’ve had a significant other during cuffing season, and it was not all it was cracked up to be. I have also been fresh out of a breakup during cuffing season and, while it was hurtful at times, I got through it and so can you.
I remember being really single in Winter during my senior year of high school. Yes, I got kind of stressed out over the fact that I couldn’t watch Hallmark Christmas Movies without feeling sad. Yes, it was still very prevalent that I was single and that was a weird feeling. But, it was a learning experience more than anything.
I also subscribe to the idea that life simply just moves on and I didn’t want to let it pass me by, so getting over that initial slump was crucial. When I think back to how I dealt with it, it really all boils down to the fact that I had (and still have) the most amazing friends that love spending time with me as much as I love spending time with them.
All of those cute winter date ideas aren’t just for significant others. Over the years, I’ve had the best days with my best friends and made the most amazing memories. Knowing that I’ll have those photos and memories forever and they won’t be tarnished is an amazing feeling. So, build a snowman with your best friend (has “Frozen” taught us nothing?), cuddle up and have a “Harry Potter” binge-session and drive around and see all of the Christmas lights. Make memories you’ll feel happy to remember; it makes it easier to forget the ones you want to forget.
A significant other isn’t the only person in the world for you to spend your time with, either. A break up is just that, a breakup. It’s not a death sentence, and it doesn’t mean you’re going to be single forever. It just means that, right now, the universe wants you to focus on something else.
Don’t get me wrong, you’re allowed to be sad. Breakups suck, especially if they’re unexpected, but there’s also a lot of opportunities to grow when you’re single in a time when society glorifies being in a relationship so much. Relationships aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be. As college students, we’re given so much pressure to handle everything.
Between getting good grades, being involved, interning and working on top of maintaining some semblance of a social life, it’s hard for me to imagine fitting a relationship into my life right now. You don’t need a relationship. You’re not half of a person and who you are isn’t dependent on another person. Winter makes everything seem cold and dreary, but sunnier days are coming. If you can find a way to cope with the cold even a little bit, you’ve won.
It’s hard to really imagine it, but in the grand scheme of life, breakups are a pretty small portion of it. No matter how many you’ve gone through and how long you’ve dated that person. I categorize myself as an optimist and an opportunist. I really think that the current moment is exactly where we’re supposed to be and the only thing we can do about it is make sure we’re the happiest that we can be under the circumstances of our current situations.
Breakups suck sometimes, but they suck less than looking back on your life and realizing you missed out on opportunities for making amazing memories with your friends because you were grieving the whole time.