It is that time of the year again, and depending on your current romantic situation, it can either be really exciting or really annoying. And if it wasn’t clear already, I am referring to Valentine’s Day.
I feel like there is a lot of societal pressure to have a date on Valentine’s Day. We are bombarded with ads, specialty Valentine’s day makeup lines and clothing lines and heart-shaped decor EVERYWHERE. Even if you aren’t necessarily craving a date, you still feel a little bit of the FOMO on Valentine’s Day because it is ingrained in our society. However, there are silver linings. I think there are plenty of ways to celebrate the holiday without being in a romantic relationship, especially at this age in our lives.
The beauty of your 20s is that it’s an era in life where you’re old enough to be on your own and start exploring the world, yet also young enough to make mistakes, meet new people and create formative memories you will look back on. If anything, I would rather be alone at 20 and spend Valentine’s Day with my friends at a “Galentine’s Day” dinner than spend it with a significant other.
Our 20s are the most malleable time of our lives. Many of us are in college, and we are finding our passions, following our career goals and meeting new friends who may be at our weddings one day. Being alone in your early 20s, or at least for part of it, is essential to finding and focusing on yourself and your own needs.
I think being alone at this time really allows us to cultivate other important relationships. It isn’t uncommon for people to engage in romantic relationships and have their friendships take the backseat. It is a lot harder to forge new friendships post grad once you settle into your careers. Your friends will move to new places and start new lives.
So, while we are romantically-alone, let’s take this time to appreciate the most important relationships in our lives: our friends. Celebrate with a Galentine’s Day outing and treat yourself to a wine night or a cute brunch. Remind yourself of the reasons you are grateful for your friends because ultimately, all the things you do in a relationship are things you can do with your friends. Go out to the movies with them, make inside jokes or tell your friends you love them.
At the same time, be your own date on Valentine’s Day. As we’ve been discussing, your 20s are a time for you, so treat yourself the way you want to be treated. Buy flowers for yourself and do something that makes you smile! You have your entire life to find the one and be in a relationship, but the time you have to yourself being single is fleeting. There is so much beauty to being single in your 20s, and this is the perfect time for you to appreciate some of it.