Hey y’all! Happy Day before Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day has never been one of my favorite holidays. Throughout school, I’ve always had class valentines, then friend valentines, and parents as valentines, and I’ve always been like yeah Valentine’s Day is great! But as I got older, my friends and I stopped doing the Valentine’s Day cards and other than elementary school, you don’t have Valentine’s Day parties and classmates don’t give you cards. And I realized I really had no one for Valentine’s Day (other than my parents). So, I wore black instead of pink and red; I said that I didn’t care about the holiday; I didn’t like any pictures of people with their S.O.s on social media (cause you know that’s a big deal). I didn’t see the point in having a holiday to celebrate your other half when you should be thankful for them every day…but that’s another story. Up until a few years ago, I dreaded the holiday and the days leading up to it.
About 2 or 3 years ago, on Valentine’s Day, it finally hit me…why the hell do I need to have an S.O. to be my valentine like that’s going to make me super happy or make me love myself more because someone else loves me? It dawned on me that I really wasn’t even in a place to have a valentine. Everyone always says to love yourself first, and that’s exactly what I wasn’t doing. You can’t expect someone else to love you or love you more than you should love yourself if you don’t love yourself first. Now when people ask me who my valentine is, I say I am my own valentine every single day because it’s a 24/7 365-day job. I practice self-love everyday especially in those moments where I’m doubting myself or being hard on myself.
I’m currently single, living my best life, spending Valentine’s Day with my parents, and am the happiest I’ve ever been. I went from dreading the holiday to liking the holiday as a day to really practice self-love. Are there still days where I wish I had a boyfriend? Yeah sure, I have my rare moments. But do I truly wish I had a boyfriend? No, I’m having too much fun loving myself, finding myself, and improving myself for me. I know he’ll come around when the time is right, when the Lord says she’s ready for this guy. Until then, I’m having a “clap for ya own damn self because I love me” mentality (and yes, I will be buying myself some flowers to celebrate).
So, ladies, if you’re not looking forward to the holiday, just remember you are your own and most important valentine and please love yourself and celebrate your self-love.
“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants” – Coco Chanel
— Mary
