By Olivia MCNamara
I love being single. I do. I love my independence and the ability to worry about my own happiness, but sometimes, it would be nice to get a text from someone other than my mom asking how my day was. Sometimes, I wish I had someone to get a sweet treat with, or someone to bake brownies with in the kitchen at 2 AM.
Okay, enough with the pity party. On a real note, being single is pretty cool. You get to be selfish in a way that totally revolves around your growth and development, which is something I find hard to do when you’re in a relationship. It’s fun to just worry about your own life and not in an egotistical way, but in a I love myself and want to grow way.
But sometimes, I find that our media is constantly flooding us with content that makes us long for a relationship. It’s almost like I can’t go 10 TikToks without seeing someone show off their significant other or the kind and romantic things they’ve done for them. Sure, my friends and family buying me roses for Valentine’s Day is nice, but it’s not the same. As I think about my generation’s wants, I often ask myself, “What is wrong with me?” Why can’t we be okay with being alone? Why can’t we see content involving a relationship and not feel bad for ourselves? I don’t know the answer to that question, whatsoever, but I do know it’s not a great feeling. It can be lonely, sad, and even depressing sometimes.
Although some of us may long for a TikTok-perfect relationship or a good morning text from a significant other, I think it’s important for us to sit with our feelings of singleness. What does it mean to be single? What does it mean to not have a girlfriend or boyfriend? Does it mean anything… at all? The short answer is no, but to my understanding in the world that we live in, the long answer is yes. We have become so used to seeing relationships as something you HAVE
to have. Whether it’s watching Love Island or any Rom Com, I often feel left out. But in all of my truth, there’s not much I’m missing that I can’t already give to myself. Compliments? Got it! Ice cream date? Got it!
So girls, with that being said, it’s okay if you’re single. In fact, it’s great because you are spending so much time with yourself that you will find out exactly what you want and don’t want in a relationship. You will discover the things that you want valued in yourself, and the things you know you deserve. Being single isn’t so bad. Sure, you might want a date to go on or presents to buy your significant other, but those are all things you can provide yourself in the meantime. Chin up, girls!
