My absolute favorite Valentine’s Day was in 2014. I attended a Newman Center dance the night before and then ordered myself a personal pizza. It was a blast! On actual Valentine’s Day I attended a college basketball game with my family and followed it up with dinner. I had a fantastic time! Later that night (and it was quite unexpected), I had a get together with my friends. It was a bunch of guys and girls, who played games and just enjoyed one another’s company. There was no drama, no hurt or heartbreak. There was only love.

Love. That is what Valentine’s Day is about. I won’t pretend I have never wanted a date for Valentine’s Day. We all have our moments. But every Valentine’s Day since forever, I have been single. However, I have always celebrated the day with a passion because it is about the greatest thing we can give to one another: love. There is so much anticipation about Valentine’s Day if you have a significant other, but I can’t speak on that. What I can speak on is how to be single on Valentine’s Day. Here is the secret: it is like every other day. We are constantly called to love. Make it like any other day and show those people you care about that you love them. My favorite and most memorable Valentine’s Days are the ones where I spent them with people I love. And that is the point.

So maybe when I tried to give my crush a “special” valentine in the 6^th grade, it didn’t make a difference. It was also Tinkerbell and I can guarantee the saying was nothing more than, “You are magical” or something like that. Nonetheless giving that to the boy of my dreams was probably the boldest thing I have ever done and a big deal for a 12-year-old. Maybe I have been let down easy…or not so easy on Valentine’s Day. No matter what has happened, I have never let those experiences cloud my view of a day that should help us refocus our hearts on what we are called to do every day of our lives.

So if you have had something bad happen on this holiday or you have a bitter outlook, I challenge you to embrace what the day stands for and celebrate it. And if you are losing hope, I leave you with this: God calls you by name. He chooses to love you every day. He knows He wants you. Jesus came to this earth for YOU and YOU alone. That has never wavered or will ever waver. Anyone who doesn’t know what they want or cannot show you commitment is not worth it. You owe it to yourself to realize all the love God has for you. You need to believe it and love yourself as well! Never let go of it! And lastly, have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

I know this is a bit early, but I figured people need to hear this in time so that they can change their attitudes and spread the love!