No Valentine, No Problem

Valentine’s day was always THE BEST in elementary school.

You got to make the best card boxes/bags, go shopping for just the right valentines (they had to have candy or they were useless), and sit in anticipation of getting valentines from almost everyone in your class.

And maybe if you were lucky, you’d get a card from your long-time crush with a heart and the best question to ever be asked, scribbled inside, “Will you be my Valentine?”

Those were the days. When love was innocent and pure and silly and honestly, so much more fun.

My biggest crush was on Wes Lunt in 1st grade. And guys, he liked me too. No, I have no recollection of him scribbling a love letter to me at the mature age of 6, but I do remember him sitting behind me on the reading rug counting the clips in my hair (I think my record was 13). True love at it’s finest.

But Valentine’s Day isn’t like that once you hit college life, adulthood and beyond.

Instead of an exciting time to love on everyone around us, we get sucked in by the one thing that haunts us single gals and lads:

“No Valentine, BIG problem.”

“WRONG” as President Trump would say.
(Had to throw a trump quote in here for the hack of it)

I had a valentine for 5 years in a row. And honestly, it was more pressure than fun and love and excitement filled.

Instead of being a fun, love filled day, it turned into another time where the guy was expected to blow my socks off yet not love me too crazy because “I’m an independent woman” (more on this one lata).

It has become a day where we obsess and fuss and groan and complain over the love we don’t have in our lives instead of a celebration of all the blessings we have thrown at us every stinkin’ day.

So really, instead of seeing a problem in not having someone stick a “Be Mine” letter in our mailbox this Valentine’s Day, we should be saying no Valentine? No problem.

Because Valentine’s day isn’t about that one person we may or may not have this year.

Valentine’s Day should be a day where we get excited for our kleenex box Valentine mailboxes to get filled with notes from our best friends and that one random kid in the class we always seem to forget about.

Valentine’s Day should be more about us loving people well, and never expecting anything in return.

Valentine’s Day should be about other’s and not ourselves.

So No Valentine? No problem.

Because every person deserves love. Those older men and women sitting in a nursing home today deserve a smiling face and a reminder that they are loved. Those busy moms who do everything for their kids and nothing for themselves deserve a break and a large fry and sweet tea from Chick-Fil-A.

Our classrooms used to come to a screeching halt on Valentine’s Day, turning from a room of non-stop learning to a room of celebration of friendships and candy for the whole entire day.
(I don’t know about your school, but we freaking partied and it was a blast)

You may not have the ability to stop your whole day or to throw a crazy party at your house this Valentine’s Day, but you can celebrate all the friends you have. You can celebrate all the good things you have been given. And you can definitely celebrate all the candy and chocolate that somehow always finds a way to your mouth.

You don’t need a Valentine to feel loved folks.

That’s what dark chocolate was created for.

Love people well this Valentine’s Day. Do some good.

See ya soon,

Stephanie Lynn