Ashtyn Britt
Writer
abritt@lc.edu

I don’t know about you all, but to me, chocolate, teddy bears, and roses are the biggest accessories for Valentine’s Day. If you’re anything like me, by this time in life you’re probably sick and tired of this romanticized holiday. You probably feel some kind of pressure to be with a certain someone, or behave a particular kind of way. Well, don’t fret! You aren’t wrong to feel distaste for this holiday, because it isn’t for everyone.

I’ve written before about what it’s like to be single during holidays that specifically have some kind of center on romance, and with Valentine’s Day being the biggest romantic day of the year, I figured it’d only be fair to put in my two cents. It’s very, very overrated. I’m not just saying that because I’m single, either, I used to love Valentine’s Day. I was obsessed with the cute cards, and the giant stuffed animals, and the sappy romance of it all. I learned as I grew up that these things don’t make a good relationship, though. These presents only make a good Valentine’s Day.

A good relationship is a job that takes up every single day of the year. It’s caring for your partner when they’re sick, or texting them late at night to check in and make sure they finally went to sleep, or making sure that you let them know you’re there for them even when they feel they’re alone. Love isn’t flowers and fancy dinner, it’s respect and compassion. It’s addressing and acknowledging the mistakes you make, the promise to do better, and then making an effort to do better. It won’t be fun every day, there will be issues, and faith in each other will be tested. That’s okay, if you’re with someone you’re willing to do the work for.

In the meantime, be your own Valentine! Make your favorite dinner, put on your favorite movie, buy your own teddy bear! You don’t need a date to make a good Valentine’s Day, you only need yourself. Because eventually, you’ll never have a Valentine’s Day to yourself again. You’ll have bickering, laughter, pain, inside jokes, confusion, passion, and love. You’ll have so much love that there will be days when you’re scared to lose it because you won’t be able to imagine a world without this person. Don’t be scared, have faith and put in the effort. Until then, love yourself!