I used to have this convoluted idea that Valentine’s day was all about being in love and having a significant other. It was that way until I had my first boyfriend. I would just imagine what it would be like when I had a love one day. Then I got that first love and Valentine’s day was what I’d thought I had hoped for. Then much like many first loves, that relationship ended and in my broken-hearted mess, I imagined Valentine’s days without a boyfriend - without that special kind of love - and that just made me ten times sadder than I already was. It’s like Valentine’s day is hugely depressing when you romanticize it with the standards of relationships and flowers and all that sappy stuff.
I’ve grown a lot since that first Valentine’s day with a boyfriend and in my recent years I’ve come to love Valentine’s day, whether I’m in a relationship or single, and I think that is so important. I’ve realized that Valentine’s day isn’t just about being “in love” but just simply about love. And this is what love is really about;
It’s about your whole family getting in the car just so they can go to Dunkin Donuts together.
It’s about being able to spot your best friend’s car from a mile away.
It’s about when a baby falls asleep in your arms because they know you’ll keep them safe.
It’s about driving with no destination as your best friend calls out “left” or “right” from the back seat.
It’s about driving your sister to her first day of school, no matter how early you have to get up.
It’s about snow days snuggled in bed with your puppy.
It’s about chocolate chips in your pancakes, but never bananas.
It’s about paying for the person behind you at Starbucks just because.
It’s about how the kids’ faces light up when you walk into work.
It’s about being just a phone call away.
It’s about all the songs that remind you of someone that makes you smile.
It’s about, “I miss you,” and “Drive safe,” and “Call me when you get there.”
Love is so much more than heart shaped boxes of chocolate, flowers, and frilly lingerie. Real love is about the people who are always there for you and vice versa. Valentine’s day is about real love and all the important people that are in your everyday life. Thank you to my mom, my dad, Gianna, Angel, Carly, Amanda, Joe, all my friends, all my family, all my coworkers, and all my beautiful babies; I love you every single day of the year, but Valentine’s day just gives me an excuse to be even more obnoxious about it. Thank you to all the important people in my life for teaching me the meaning of real love and Valentine’s day.