As much as we like to tell ourselves otherwise, stepping into the second month of the year does change the vibe of the air. The cold slightly starts warming up, and from the shades of sunset to the rosy cheeks of your loved ones, the world visually shifts into different hues of pink. Humans love each other all year around, but the month of February is when the romantic kind of love gets the floor, to stand up tall and preach courtship and companionship. This is a celebration of sweet smells of mocha or bitter-tang scents of champagnes paired, whether it be, with proposals strengthening years-long connections or with hesitations, preparing for new beginnings.
But, like every coin and every experience of life, there is a flip side to this. Along with people of age dancing with their hearts on their sleeves, falling in, or deeper, or even out of love, there are people untouched by romantic partnerships at the moment. Some of them are strong souls, patient and understanding, unbothered by the turn of the tides, either genuinely just happy for the couples or indifferent in regards to the entire ordeal. While some others, not so much. It is inevitable to run into people on dates, holding hands, and stealing intentioned glances, their hearts pumping too fast for their bodies to keep up with, resulting in the accumulation of all that blood on their blushy faces. It is inevitable for some others to not focus on two straws in one milkshake, it is cliche, maybe even stupid, and it is fun. It is inevitable to feel a void next to you, to feel the ghost of someone who could’ve been or maybe who never was.
But, I like to believe that sitting out in the dark, maybe by a waterbody, with your thoughts and being peaceful and content in your company, is also a significant part of Valentine’s Day. While this season celebrates romance, why can we not celebrate dreams of it, and celebrate the love and togetherness to come? Isn’t romance a mere manifestation of dreams? Wouldn’t romance be just random gestures and over-the-top words in the absence of dreams?