With Valentine's Day only a few weeks away, the stores are filled with candy hearts and cheesy cards. The holiday is obviously geared towards couples with the abundance of chocolate roses and the stigma that you need a date on Valentine's Day. However, you don't need a romantic partner to have a valentine. This year, my valentines are my parents.

The last year has truly shown me how much my parents love me and how much I've come to appreciate them. From my mother flying down to me at a moment's notice when I needed her, to my parents surprising me with a great Christmas gift, they did a lot for me this year. Living on my own made me appreciate all the meals my parents have cooked and having them around to talk to when I got home. I never noticed how much I loved them until I was out of the dorms and into my first apartment. That's when I realized that they were my valentines.

Too many times I have cried on Valentine's Day thinking I needed a significant other to enjoy the day. My mom did her best by giving my sister and me candy or making heart-shaped meat loafs. While that cheered me up for a bit, I should have realized that those were the gestures of a true valentine.

Valentine's Day is about love. Whether you share that love with your dog, your parents, or a significant other, it doesn't matter. Just love somebody. Sure, I'll still go out for a nice meal with my boyfriend and he'll be my romantic valentine, but my true valentines are my parents. The ones who have been there for me since day one, and it's time to show them how much I love them. I won't get them chocolate covered strawberries or take them out to a fancy dinner like typical valentines day things. They wouldn't want that. Instead, I plan on showing them I care by telling them and giving them a hug. When it comes to my parents, love is unconditional, so they'll always be my valentines from this year on.

Happy Valentine's Day, Mom and Dad.