The season of love is upon us and with it can come a sense of loneliness if you don’t have that “special someone” to celebrate with. But this doesn’t have to stop you from celebrating the day of love, because if you really think about it, love is all around, whether it be in your best friends, your family or even within yourself. Valentine’s Day doesn’t just have to be about romantic love; it can be for whatever love you have in your life that is worth celebrating. For me personally, I often end up celebrating in many different ways in order to recognize all of the different types of love I have in my life.
One of my favorite ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day is with all of my friends. Almost every year we find a time close to that fateful day of Feb. 14 when we can all spend time with each other, watch movies and craft as we catch up with what is happening in our lives. Even though this familiar pattern has become a regular part of our friendship, it still feels nice to take the time to embrace and acknowledge the love that our friendship has brought us all. I have so many fond memories of watching romantic comedies (much to my friend Ethan’s dismay and crafting for hours on end. My friend CC somehow always finishes her project way faster than the rest of us, and Ethan inevitably takes way too long on his until he eventually gives up and will just “finish it later,” which he never does. After hours of crafting, the night always finds a way of becoming a never-ending card game that leads to all of us becoming way too competitive and eating an obscure amount of lime chips.
As I look around at my friends I see a love that cannot be replaced; a love that builds me up, supports me and makes me a better person. Even despite the distance that we now have between us due to college, I can still feel the love I have for my friends, and that is worth celebrating this Valentine’s Day. Even now with the new friends I have begun to make I can feel the beginnings of a new love for them as we create memories together. So even if you don’t have a romantic partner to spend this Valentine’s Day with, find a way to celebrate with those who you feel platonic love for.
Remember, you don’t necessarily need to do anything crazy to celebrate. You can plan a simple night where you watch movies and play games. Or, if you’re of the crafty nature like I am, make your friends a cute card to show your love. Even if you don’t want to actually do anything for Valentine’s Day, be sure to tell your friends that you appreciate them and their friendship. Platonic love is just as important as romantic love.
Another great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to have a self-care day where you do all of your favorite things. For me personally, this looks like going and picking up a drink from my favorite coffee shop and ordering in lunch or dinner for me to eat at home. Once I have a sweet treat and something to eat, I spend the day doing some of my favorite things: I’ll put on a face mask, pick out a craft of my choosing (normally something involving crochet) and then put on one of my favorite movies, typically a rom-com like “Pride & Prejudice” (2005) or “Dirty Dancing” if you were wondering. This Valentine’s Day, if you don’t have any plans, spend the day doing activities that you love, whether that’s going to your favorite place to eat, doing a face mask and having a self-care day or even just spending the night in watching your favorite movie or show.
In a world that seems to put so much pressure on finding romantic love, take the time to celebrate the other kinds of love in your life this Valentine’s Day. Platonic love is one of the most fulfilling kinds that you kind find in our life. There is no sense of pressure to be “perfect” like this is with romantic love. Your friends don’t want anything from you, they just love and support you for being exactly who you are, and that deserves to be celebrated just as much as any relationship. While it is often hard to celebrate familial love while being at college, still be sure to reach out and remind your family that you love them,because even despite the distance that love remains strong.
Loving others is kind of key to this whole Valentine’s Day thing we’re talking about, but the best way to be able to love and accept love from others is to be able to love and care for yourself. So take the time to do some of your favorite hobbies this Valentine’s Day, and remind yourself of who you are and what you love about yourself. Just because these relationships aren’t romantic in nature doesn’t take away from the love that is there. It is important that you appreciate all of these relationships and the love that they bring. So this Valentine’s Day be sure to celebrate all of the love in your life this year.
