Freaking Celebrate

Ahhhh, Valentine's Day. The day that many of us singles tend to dread from February 15th till February 13th the following year. If you're like me and have been single more times on Valentine's Day than you have been in a relationship, the day can be tedious. You log onto social media and can't scroll two pages without seeing an overabundance of roses, chocolates, or stuffed animals holding roses and chocolates. Grocery stores start preparing as soon as Christmas is over, and you can't even go to the store for a jug of milk without being bombarded by oversized balloons and frilly pink fluff. As a single woman on "Proclaim Your Love Day," it would be extremely easy for me to get down, to focus on all that I don't have and complain about those who do. Instead, I'm choosing these three things to focus on, and I hope they help you as well. It's time we stop channeling all of the negative emotions that this day can bring and instead celebrate with our peers who do have relationships and thank the ones we love for loving us back.

Stop focusing on what you don't have

Most of my Facebook friends are posting pictures of their gifts. I've seen everything from chocolates to engagement rings, from stuffed animals to live animals. Initial response for me is to roll my eyes and think, "You can't show her how you love her outside of February 14th?" I'm putting an end to that. Today, and all days after, I'm choosing to say, "Congratulations. I'm so happy for you!" Why does someone else's happiness have to be our pessimism? Don't talk about how much money someone spent on someone else, and instead choose to rejoice with those who are happy.

Stop calling it "Single's Awareness Day"

I don't know if it's me, but I absolutely hate when Valentine's Day is referred to this way. As if I need to point out the giant scarlet "S" on my shirt any more than it's already done. Stop using this holiday as a way to mourn your relationship status and instead choose to rejoice that you haven't settled for  less than what you deserve. In a way, calling it "Single's Awareness Day" is a way to downsize those who are celebrating with their significant other. I know three years ago (my last Valentine's as a non-single), I felt guilty for posting about my then-boyfriend doing special and lovely things for me because of all of the single women who were bashing Valentine's Day. I don't mean just posting meme's about Valentine's Day, but actively bashing the flower-giving and the chocolate-consuming people who were celebrating. Let's be more aware of what we're saying, encourage, and uplift each other, regardless of our relationship status.

Freaking Celebrate!

Okay, so maybe you don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend, wife/husband to celebrate with today. You do realize that you're not alone in this right? Stop focusing just for a second on the multitude of Valentine's Celebrators and look between the lines of Facebook and see all of the single friends that you have. Who says that you can't celebrate yourself? Whether it's going out with the girls, treating yourself to a massage, buying the largest pizza you can find and watching Netflix, celebrate you. Choose to love yourself on National Love Day, rather than choosing to be pessimistic about your single status. So you don't have a Valentine on Valentine's Day. Realize that some people don't have a mother on Mother's Day, or a father on Father's Day. Celebrate what you do have, and thank those who love you for loving you. I'm sure they'll appreciate it far more than you realize.

Tonight, I'm choosing to stay in my pajamas and watch the newest episode of The Walking Dead. And you know what? I'm really and truly okay with that.