Sure, it might be fun to give or receive presents or eat lots of half-priced candy the day after, or do something big and grand to show someone you care. That’s not why this day is stupid.

February 14th is just a date for me. I don’t believe that we need a day to celebrate our loved ones when we should just be doing that every day.

I don’t believe I should be any more excited for Valentines’ Day than I am any other Wednesday, because I have classes to attend, things to do, and assignments to complete.

I have more going on this semester than I imagined I would, I’m overwhelmed, and I’m not going to be able to give anything the attention it deserves if I am more focused on finding heart-shaped lollipops and a cute outfit than I am about keeping my meteorology grade up.

I don’t have a significant other this Valentines’ Day, and I’m sure this article comes off super bitter and the classic “Well, she’d like Valentines’ Day if she had a boyfriend or girlfriend.”

Still no. I had an amazing Valentines’ last year. My boyfriend brought me food at my dorm, despite me being sick, and we watched movies and cuddled and had a very sweet evening together.

Even so, he was home by 9, because I still had work to do and he had a job to get to early the next morning. We had priorities that we put ahead of a long, complicated night of romance. We decided to celebrate when it worked for both of us, not because it was the so-called “Day of Love” that everyone else was celebrating on.

And I gave him whatever illness I had, so there was that unhappy fact (and I told him I was sick, so don’t think I’m crazy for letting him come over).

I don’t want to criticize people who are out celebrating AT ALL. I can appreciate all the cute things people do for each other and the idea that this is an elevation, a way of making things magnified and fun and a chance to do something special. I just think that, for the most part, the things people are doing for the holiday are essentially the same as they could do any day, and they don’t need to take the opportunity to make THIS day any more stressful and complicated than any other day.

My point is that I don’t think we need Valentines’ Day to tell us our love is valid. I don’t think we need this day to prove any point about us having a life or being able to make plans. I can celebrate Galentines with my friends anytime I want (and I did, February 9th, when nothing was super expensive for the holiday yet).

In fact, I’ll probably celebrate the day a few times. A few weekends. A few months, in little memories and the ordinary times I am sharing with the people around me.