To the girl who doesn’t have plans for Valentine’s Day, you can still have an awesome day.

TRUE CONFESSION: Before meeting the Hubs, I hated Valentine’s Day. I have a history of less than memorable Valentine’s Day experiences, but I spent a lot of them dressed head to toe in all black, protesting the day and all of its festivities. I fully engaged in Single’s Awareness Day and spent an entire 24 hours being incredibly salty, and this was before salty was a thing. 

I want you to know that you don’t have to be me. You don’t have to suffer on February 14th because you don’t have a date, a boyfriend, a husband or fiance, and you don’t have to suffer if you don’t have plans. Since when does Valentine’s Day have to be just for couples to indulge in the ultra-glamorized holiday, enjoying all the fun festive experience this holiday has to offer? Uhhh… since never!

I want to begin this letter by reminding you that you are enough. Existing on Valentine’s Day without a special someone isn’t awesome, but it can be. You can take this day to exist in the awesome presence of yourself, your friends, your family, and even just take time to exist in the presence of God. Your plans or lack of plans on Valentine’s Day do not define you or dictate your future. It simply means you haven’t planned anything yet. Or they mean, you’re choosing to let it be a holiday that is celebrated while you go about your regular business. That’s it. It doesn’t mean you are unworthy of love, will never have a somebody, or don’t get to enjoy all the warm and fuzzies that come with this day.

On February 14th, I challenge you to make the most of this day. Love on yourself. Treat yourself. Love on your friends and treat them too! And don’t leave out your family… a simple text reminding them that you love them may be the trick to turning their whole day around. This sounds so simple, but it starts with getting out of your head and realizing that this day is only going to be what you make it. SO stop rolling your eyes and judging the cute couples you see walking by and choose to have fun on this day! You are in control of your joy, and it’s ultimately up to you.

Here are some super fun ways to make the most of your Valentine’s Day if you don’t already have plans:

1. Make it a Galentine’s Day! 

   As I’m writing this, I’m also kicking myself because this could have been so much more fun than wallowing in self-pity and eating my weight in pizza on all those lonely Valentine’s Days that I choose to sulk instead of celebrating.Celebrate with some of your other single lady friends, make reservations, get dressed up, and make a night of it! You’ll probably be having more fun than most people anyways 🙂 Go for a Mani/Pedi together or go watch whatever cheesy love story movie that just happens to come out on Valentine’s Day. Celebrate love by celebrating each other!

2. Treat Yo’self!Yo!!!! Seriously… if you aren’t having a Galentine’s Day and you aren’t treating yourself, what are you doing with your life?! Make this day yours. If you want flowers, buy yourself some flowers. If you want a box of chocolates, well girlfriend, go get you a box of chocolates! Live it up and celebrate love by celebrating yourself.
   
   
3. Surprise Someone Else!I think this is super fun… and before you think I mean to surprise your crush, that’s not what I mean. That could backfire terribly, and I don’t want to scar you from Valentine’s Day for the rest of your life… SO surprise a friend 🙂 Bring them a cute cupcake, or some pretty flowers. Become what someone else is missing today, and I guarantee you, it will make your day better because you will be putting energy into celebrating someone you love.
4. Live in the moment and enjoy the bliss! 

   Again, hindsight is 20-20!!! If you’re a hopeless romantic, you can still enjoy Valentine’s Day even if you don’t have time for plans and/or don’t have a significant other. A special someone can be anyone. It’s not just someone you are dating… You can totally live in the moment and just be happy for people. This goes back to not judging and rolling your eyes. Face it… your news-feed is going to blow up at the stroke of midnight. There will be balloons, flowers, hearts, candy, and all the lovey-dovey things for a full on 24-48 hours. If it’s just too much, then turn it off, but don’t let it steal your joy. Live in a different moment and enjoy the bliss of living at all.

Now, I completely understand that Valentine’s Day is an incredibly sensitive day if you’ve just come out of a relationship, but you can still OWN this day. It doesn’t have to be tarnished just because someone else wasn’t wise or brave enough to recognize your worth. You are a beautiful and wonderful creation of God, and He loves you more than any man ever will. Scouts honor. It’s true. So rest in that, and indulge yourself in the love that God, your family, your friends, and so many people have for you.

Even if you are not loved by the one person you thought would love you, that doesn’t mean you aren’t loved. You are SO loved, and I’m sure if that one special stupid someone doesn’t love you, then there is a much better actually special someone who is waiting for your heart to be ready for their love. Enjoy this day! It can be awesome if you allow it to, but that’s ultimately up to you ❤

– from the Wife, someone who spent way too many Valentine’s Days miserable when I could have been celebrating with friends and family