The thing is, I've been single on Valentine's Day and I've been in a relationship, and the results were the same. The day is what you make it. When I was dating someone, there was pressure to be happy and romantic and find the "right" gift appropriate to the amount of time you've been dating and where the relationship "stands." And when I was single, there was pressure to be miserable and cynical and drown your "sorrows" in red wine and self-pity. So, this year I'm not letting my happiness (or unhappiness) be dictated by what other people think you should do and feel on one particular day.
Sure, I've experienced Valentine's Day both single and "coupled," but truth be told, my favorite ones were when neither of those mattered. When I was young, my parents didn't go out and leave my sisters and me alone or with a babysitter for Valentine's Day, and they didn't treat it as a holiday just for couples. For us, it was a day when Mom would make a heart-shaped cake or cookies with sprinkles and we'd eat them off of doilies. It was sweet and harmless and all-inclusive. And shouldn't that be the point?
So, whether you're planning a romantic dinner for two or pizza delivery, bottle of wine, pint of ice cream for one, I still hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day!
P.S. The cynic in me wanted to share this Valentine-themed website sure to make you (single or coupled) gag on your candy hearts. Really?
