Fending Off the Valentine’s Day Blues

Love is in the air! Couples are smiling, cuddling, and secretly awaiting the love-stricken day where we celebrate those with whom we enjoy spending our most intimate moments. What happens, however, when you are single and your friends and family members are all hooked to the hip with the loves of their lives? Do you pretend to be excited to hear about their love fiascos, puppy love parables, and intimate evenings? Do you growl and forbid your loved ones to speak about the sappy love stories in your presence; or, do you genuinely celebrate the fact that two people have found a common ground in which to share their unselfish quest for intimacy? I’ll give you a minute to think about it…honestly. OK…time’s up! If you answered negatively, this article is for you. If you answered positively, this article is for you.

As the candy and flowers begin rolling in, this year you can fend off those Valentine’s Day blues by embracing the truth regarding love and knowing that it is a privilege afforded to each of us, not just during Valentines Day, but throughout the entire year. Varying stories exist regarding the culmination of this celebratory day of love. One story suggests that Valentine was a priest. When Emperor Claudius forbade marriage— believing that single men made better soldiers—Valentine defied this unfair decree by continuing to secretly perform marriages. When his defiance was revealed, the emperor ordered his execution. Today, many of us are still dying to love…someone…anyone…for the sake of simply being able to say, “I have someone!” Another factor is loneliness. And Valentine’s Day can prove to be one of the loneliest days of the year. That is, when we allow ourselves to view it in the wrong perspective. So, the question then becomes, “How are you viewing love? From the eyes others? Or do you truly have a realistic and grounded perspective for yourself of what true love is all about? Ask three people their definition of love and you will receive three totally different responses. Everyone wants something out of the relationship, but the tricky part is being truthful about what that “something” is. Are you like the flagrant saint dying for love, the bitter friend envious of others, or are you somewhere between love and hate, or none of the above?