Relationship Reality

Grocery stores are stocking up on sugary sweets, toy stores are marketing little bears covered with hearts and florists are selling roses by the dozens. This of course can only mean one thing—Valentine’s Day is approaching. These cheesy gifts, and even cheesier cards might put you in the mood to show your significant other some serious extra affection. But they might also leave you feeling hopelessly and forever alone if you are not sharing this time with some special.

My friends always ask how they can find a boyfriend or a date, and this time of year it seems to be like an obsession to them. The answer is much simpler than a five–step plan to make you irresistible. You just need to wait. Someone will come into your life that will want to fill that crucial boyfriend or girlfriend role. A relationship is something you should enter into naturally and should not be a forced process.

Being single is not somehow a reflection of your character. It’s not even a reflection of your looks. Sure you look around this time of year and only see happy, beautiful people with other happy, beautiful people—just look in any local paper or on your social media page. And while the status of your relationship might feel a bit more prominent on Valentine’s Day, in reality those four little words on Facebook (“in a relationship with”) do not define you on the other 364 days a year, so why let them define you on Valentine’s Day?

Instead, use the holiday to celebrate all the important relationships in your life. How nice would it be to surprise your mother or grandmother with flowers? How pleased would your roommates feel if you bought cupcakes for them to show your appreciation for them? In fact, in some Spanish–speaking countries, Valentine’s Day is known as “Día del Amor y la Amistad,” or the day of love and friendship. So why would you waste a day being miserable when you could celebrate the joy of having those people in your life?

Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love, and as we know, love can take many different forms. Celebrate everyone you love–yourself included. Rejoice in your life and stay open to the possibility of finding something in someone you most likely overlooked. Deep, romantic love will come, but probably not in the next week. So be patient and stop worrying about what other people think of single, wonderful you.