Last year on Valentine’s Day, I was the only single girl of my four closest friends. When that Saturday night rolled around, they each had plans with their significant others, and I was left to fend for myself. It was one of the coldest, snowiest nights of the year so not much was happening around campus.

Instead of wallowing in my single misery, I invited a new friend on a Galentine’s date. We gorged ourselves on mac n’ cheese and spent the majority of the night drinking wine and making fun of boys on Tinder. I ended up having a great time, but I was still bummed I couldn’t hang out with all my friends who were in relationships.

This year I’m not single on Valentine’s Day, but I’m pledging not to abandon my friends. I can get dinner and hang out with my boyfriend on Feb. 15, or any other day for that matter. We don’t need to spend some arbitrarily-decided holiday staring into each other’s eyes and exchanging cheesy lines.

I value my friendships more than anything, and what better way to show appreciation to my friends than to make them my Valentines? Use Valentine’s Day as a way of getting closer to your girlfriends and everyone you love instead of just your significant other. I can tell you they will appreciate it more than you can imagine.

Set a date night with your significant other for another night next week when the mayhem and “romance” of Valentine’s Day calms down. You can also exchange gifts over a fancy lunch if you want, but you don’t have to devote an entire day to one person.

At this point in our lives, the best thing we can do is work to maintain all of the friendships we value so much. Valentine’s Day can be difficult or frustrating when you’re single, especially if you’re surrounded by couples. So don’t let any of your friends feel left out and spread your love all around on Valentine’s Day.