Valentine’s Day is coming up this weekend. Originally a day to celebrate Saint Valentine, it is probably one of the most commercialized holidays in the United States. In fact, it’s the second most popular card-sending holiday, right after Christmas. It was introduced to us at a super young age; as early as kindergarten. In elementary school, Valentine’s Day was just a little party at school where you had a paper bag decorated with your name. Every classmate would get a Valentine and a box of those Sweet Hearts. No one was left out.

The day is supposed to be all about people spending time with their significant others; it could also be about spending time with their family and friends they love just as much.

Ever since I was kid, Valentine’s Day was always special to me. My mom was a Valentine’s Day baby. So growing up, Valentine’s Day never really had a romantic significance to me. I always thought of it as the day that my dad and I celebrated my Mom and her birthday. And still to this day, the first thought I have when I think of Valentine’s Day is that that’s her birthday.

Now that I’m older and beyond the age of giving my classmates little, folded cards with puppies and kittens on them, I’ve come to realize how tricky and deceiving Valentine’s Day can be.

Couples go all out. From making dinner reservations, buying tickets to movies before they sell out (um, "Deadpool" anyone?), and making sure that they have either the most perfect bouquet of roses and chocolates or gifts to present — it’s just another commercialized holiday.

And I get it. Valentine’s Day can be made into a really special day. I’m not bitter about it this year (even if I can’t be home to spend it with my mom and boyfriend). But personally, I feel that we shouldn’t need a designated day or commercialized holiday to celebrate our relationships. Valentine’s Day may be the one day some couples can actually spend some quality time together. Between busy work and school schedules and everyday life—it can get hectic.

I, however, just think that this one day, out of the other 364 days, is just another day. Would I like to be able to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her? Of course. Do I wish I could be cuddled up with my boyfriend? Definitely.

But I don’t need one specialized day during the year to tell my family, my friends, and my boyfriend how much I love them. We shouldn’t need this one specific day to send our significant other flowers or express how much we appreciate and love them. I don’t believe that we even need to exchange extravagant, pricey gifts.

I do believe, however, that every day we can express these sentiments. Getting flowers just because is cute. Letting your significant other know how much you love them every so often will make them feel good.

Valentine’s Day can be a very special holiday. I am in no way discrediting that. But every day can be a day to celebrate the loved ones in your life.