A Letter to Myself on Valentine’s Day
Brother Cupid Threw up At Walgreens
Friends, before we could even fully recover from all the extra of the holiday season, here I go walking into my neighborhood Walgreens to find that brother cupid literally throws up all over the store. There’s red everywhere!
Just a few weeks back, shelves that were once full of overpriced Christmas trinkets are now stocked to the brim with all the teddy bears, fake roses and heart shaped chocolate boxes that your heart could possibly desire.
I roll my eyes and sigh, “Valentine’s Day is back.”
Valentine’s Day – The Contrived Holiday
Don’t get me wrong, I love, love. The companionship that starts from this intense emotion, I believe, is gifted to humankind by God. Though I am single right now, I’d welcome love into my life.
So, it isn’t the celebration of love, but rather the manufactured day known as Valentine’s.
One of the issues I have with Valentine’s Day, (besides the outright commercialism), is the message that it inadvertently promotes: love is highlighted and celebrated on this ONE special day.
One day only? What about the rest of the year?
How many couples do you know, who are a mess most of the year, but a nice dinner and gift on Valentine’s Day somehow proves they love one another? How about the idiot who cheats on his wife all year, but then a delivery of roses to her job signifies to her co-workers that she’s appreciated and loved.
There’s a disingenuous aspect to the holiday that makes me laugh. It all feels so contrived.
What deeply bothers me though, is the insecurity that Valentine’s Day can invoke in many people. If you aren’t dating, there’s a feeling of isolation. You can be prone to feel that you aren’t loved or good enough to be with someone.
Even if you are in a relationship this can be a tough holiday to handle.
I know for me, I’ve had to stomach several Valentine’s Day holidays in an unhappy, loveless relationship. Being in a situation like mine and then all you see are people all around you trying to sell you a story of love; it can be hard. Just downright depressing.
A letter to Myself
I’m going on my sixth Valentine’s Day single and I couldn’t be happier.
As I sip on my BelAir Rose, I feel a sense of gratitude that I can be alone and at peace without feeling I need to be in a relationship. Blissfully Single Bean, that’s me and I’m happy.
I write myself this letter on Valentine’s Day 2020:
Bean, you’ve been through so much.
Not only are you standing strong, you are stronger than you ever have stood before.
You are a single woman enjoying the peace of being single. No longer must you shoulder the sadness of being in an unhappy relationship.
You’re single and you’ve been single for a while now. That’s OK; it’s more than OK because now is the time of completion that will ready you for the addition of someone special, should that be in God’s plan for you.
Even if it isn’t and this journey is one that you’ll make alone, know that you have the greatest love there is – love of self.
On this Valentine’s Day, I am in love. I am fiercely and unequivocally in love with me.
On this Valentine’s Day, love yourself first.
Blissfully Yours Friends,
