Last Valentine’s Day was one of the happiest days of my life and I didn’t even know it, or appreciate it.
I’ve never been the kind of person who likes Valentine’s Day, and I won’t lie it’s because I never had anyone to share the day with. I was always the bitter single one who said Valentine’s Day was pointless. Until last year, when I was in my first serious relationship. We’d been dating for five months and I was half-dreading my first Valentine’s day in a relationship, half-excited about the day. In hindsight I shouldn’t have worried at all, it was a great day. We spent the whole morning chilling in bed, watching our favourite TV show, and she made me breakfast in bed, even though we were at my house. We’re both complete history buffs so we spent the afternoon at a gorgeous museum with huge gardens and got to walk around the gardens and explore the exhibitions. Then we went for a lovely meal, laughing and joking together and just enjoying each other’s company.
When we went back to my house she wanted to watch the football game but I hate football, so we compromised and we watched the football. It sounds like a joke, but I would’ve done anything to make her happy. As we watched it with my roommates I fell asleep on her shoulder and she wrapped her arm around me and let me sleep on her. It was the so sweet and when I woke up I felt happy and content, I couldn’t imagine a better Valentine’s Day. She stayed over that night and in the morning she had an early class so she got up to leave my house but before she did she walked round to my side of the bed and she kissed my forehead gently, whispering goodbye so she didn’t wake me. I was already awake, but it was one of the sweetest moments of my life, it was at that moment I knew that she really loved me. But I didn’t appreciate that love at the time, at all.
It wasn’t until the past few weeks, with another Valentine’s Day approaching, that I realised how lucky I was last year. It wasn’t until recently that I realised how in love I was, how much that first Valentine’s Day I spent with someone would change my whole attitude towards Valentine’s Day. This year will be really hard for me because I’ve discovered that this time last year was the happiest I’ve ever been in my life, and I didn’t fight hard enough to save the relationship that made me the happiest I’ve ever been.
If you’re feeling down or full of regret this Valentine’s Day you aren’t alone.