Singles Awareness Day

One of my favorite things about Valentines Day is reading peoples facebook statuses.  You have the couples that are all mushy gushy like "So excited to spend Valentines day with my sweetie pie honey buns sugar britches valentine babe together forever! *heart emoticon*"  Then you have the married couples who celebrated on a more convenient day or who are frantically running around trying to find that last bouquet of flowers.  You have those few church kids who say things like "Jesus is my perfect valentine."  And of course a good amount of singles awareness statuses. 

My perspective- Valentines Day is a wonderful holiday.  I love it.  It's definitely on my top 10 list for best holidays.  Singles Awareness? Maybe.  But why is that a bad thing?

I have never had an official valentine on Valentines Day but I've always had really great Valentines Days.  Whether I was little and my dad would surprise me with chocolate, or I would pick out a special valentine for my elementary crush.  All those years in middle school where you hold your breath everytime a candygram delivery is made, crossing your fingers that one is for you.  Highschool where you boycott the holiday entirely in favor of watching chick flicks with the girls and eating exorbitant amounts of chocolate.  College where you get groups of singles friends together for a party or a night out. 

I love being able to encourage others on Valentines Day.  A few years I've made special Valentines dinners for my girlfriends or sent them flowers.  I've spent a few Valentines with my middle school and high school girls.  It's just a great day to encourage someone you love and to let them know you appreciate them.  So many people seem to miss out on an opportunity to love someone because they feel like it has to be a romantic love or the holiday doesn't apply to them.  Girls, you can have so much fun hanging out with your girlfriends and encouraging eachother.  Guys, you can brighten a girls entire week by sending her a valentine to let you know you appreciate her.  It doesn't have to be romantic, just let people know you appreciate them.  Let them know you were thinking about them and you thought they deserved something special. 

I will admit, sometimes I walk through a store and a cute card or stuffed animal catches my eye and I think, that will be so fun someday to be able to get something cute like that.  Sometimes when I'm serving seafood alfredo to my gal pals I think, someday I can serve this to my husband.  But then it hits me, like a ton of bricks, that I will have the rest of my life to share Valentines Day with my husband but only a few years of sharing this favorite day with family and friends.  Every Valentines Day is different and I experience so much love with so many friends and family. 

I also get to be a hopeless romantic for a day.  I get to daydream about who my guy might be.  When I might meet him.  I get to wonder if he ever thinks about me and what he's doing right now.  There is so much potential and so much excitement.  This singleness is a season I will never get back.  While I look forward to having an official valentine and to all that entails, I also really love my single valentines days and I know I'm going to miss them when they're gone.

My two cents on the holiday, don't waste your next valentines day complaining or feeling sorry for yourself or waiting for another day.  Dare to be single.  Dare to have fun.  Dare to enjoy yourself.  This day is not just made for couples, or for you years from now,  it's made for you now.  Embrace it and have a happy Valentines Day!