Single Awareness Day doesn't have to be so SAD

While around campus today, I kept getting this eerie feeling that I couldn't quite figure out. There was something that kept indirectly hinting of something lacking. I had my clothes on. I had my ID cards with me. I had my hair brushed. My teeth were clean and spinach free. I had my happiness strapped to my back. I had my smile in place. So what was missing? Everything I needed, I thought I had. But then it hit me. Oh shoot. It’s Valentine’s Day.

Or in my case, it’s Single Awareness Day also known as S.A.D. (Har Har, very funny guys).

All around me, people were selling candy chocolates, candy roses, red roses, flower bouquets, heart balloons, overtly cute plushies, Valentines’ cards, and condom leis. The verdict was quite clear, love is in the air. Fortunately for me I will be celebrating the day of love tomorrow with me, myself and I.

A few days ago, the roomies and I got onto the conversation about Valentine’s Day. I told them we should celebrate. They said why would we want to celebrate what we don’t have? This got me thinking. My brain likes to think. It’s like good exercise. Anyways, the neurons started firing and the ideas started churning.

Okay, so yes, I don’t have a Valentine this year (Although I do like to entertain the fact that my knight in shining armor will suddenly appear out of nowhere standing in front of my doorstep with a baby panda in hand. Nothing gets to me quite like a baby panda.) And no, I have not found my hunk of burning love - yet. They had a point, I lacked a boyfriend, and I lacked even the potential for a boyfriend, so why did I feel a great injustice when they said it was a silly idea to celebrate a day meant for lovebird couples?

Perhaps I was not as “shamed” by the fact that I am single. My friends considered being single on Valentine’s Day a sad and pitiful event; as a day that was meant to exclude singles in the world from enjoying the fruits of commercialized love. I on the other hand screamed ‘NO man!’ This is NOT how it’s going down in my town. I started speed talking about how many marriages fail and how many more relationships head towards termination. I told them, we should celebrate that the fact that we are single. We’re free to wander the world without worrying whether our significant other would approve. I’m young. I’m free. I’m dancing the dance that is life and so what if I don’t have my hunk of burning love yet. He can wait, but the possibilities and opportunities that surround me cannot.

Although Valentine’s Day is technically a day for lovers to express their love to each other, it doesn’t mean us single gals out there can’t express our love for each other or even the love we have for ourselves. Sure, it’s not the same. But celebrating a day for the love we have for our friends and the love we have for ourselves runs a pretty strong race. It beats it in my opinion.

Just because we won’t have scheduled any plans to do what lovers do on a day of love, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves as well. I’m a firm believer in celebrations no matter how significant or insignificant the matter. They do make your days a lot happier and with happier days equals a happier life.

Celebrating the L.O.V.E with your best girlfriends or yourself:

♥ Karaoke Party: Nothing beats being crammed in a small room, with a TV screen and a fake mic. Even better, nothing beats rocking out the Girl Power to Spice Girl songs. We can still “spice up our life” without romantic endeavors.

♥ Have a spa day: Nothing says “I love you” more to yourself than relaxing and appreciating yourself to a nice spa day. Paint your nails, get your hair done. Do things to show how much you care and love yourself!

♥ Night Time Picnic: Take a basket with yummy home cooked food and maybe a bottle of wine (21+) or apple cider (21-) go out onto the rooftop of some building and just chat about anything and everything. That’s why we love our best friends, right?

♥ Send each other Valentines cards as if you were still in elementary school: This was a great idea. I don’t know why as we grow older we stop doing it. It makes a lot of people happy to receive a nice Valentine even if it was mandatory back then.

♥ Watch over the top cheese ball romance movies: You can all make fun of it together.

♥ Spend the night reading romance novels out loud as if it were story time: You can all make fun of it together.

♥ Have a craft and baking night: Create a scrapbook with your friends with all your wonderful memories and why you love them so much. Bake some sweets. Nothing beats yummy sweets. Just because you’re single, doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in yummy sweets. I vote for dark chocolate. Anyone with me?

♥ Go to Victoria Secrets: Buy yourself comfy/cute/sexy/slutty (whatever your preference is) lingerie because you feel good in them. Run the catwalk like you’re a Victoria Secrets Angel. You’re way too good for any man. What’s with me and catwalks?

♥ Crash a Fancy Smancy Restaurant: Okay, this may be a little unrealistic seeing as how many fancy smancy restaurants are booked to a tee right now, but this will be definitely a plan next year. While lovebird couples are all romantic and whispering wooing words to each other, grab your girlfriends ask for a center table and just show all the couples around you the way more fun time you are having. Laugh in their face. Be obnoxious. It will be even better if you get kicked out. It means you really did a good job crashing people’s Valentines.

♥ Say "I Love you self" to yourself: It's a little corny, but even our poor tired self needs a bit of love and attention from time to time.

I’m personally in favor for my second to last idea. I love being obnoxious whenever I can.

Now if I’m still thinking all this pride by the time I’m 35, single and without a Valentine, I will seriously start considering my mother’s question, “Are you a lesbian?”