I Hate You, I Love You

Kaylee S. and Brianna battle it out on Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Yay!

Valentine’s Day is a good thing. I know if you’re single, you probably already disagree with me, but hear me out.

But if you’re in a relationship on Valentine’s Day, it’s a day to remind you that love isn’t just watching a marathon of “The Office” on Netflix and taking naps together because you’re both exhausted from your 8 a.m. lectures. Feb. 14 is supposed to remind us that it’s important to take a break from writing research papers and complaining about going to work so that you can dedicate a day to the person you love.

Everyone is busy. Everyone has responsibilities to take care of, places to go, things to do. Yet everyone is quick to say that Valentine’s Day is hypocritical because you should treat your significant other as specially as you do on Feb. 14 every day of the year, and to that I say who the hell has time for that every day? How are college couples supposed to get a date night in every week when they have no money or time or energy to do so?

That’s where Valentine’s Day comes in. On this day, we all stop and think about the person we love and take extra steps to be romantic and thoughtful because the other 364 days out of the year, we’re stressed with coursework and student loans and that weird rattling sound the car started making every time you accelerate past 55 mph.

So before you decide that Valentine’s Day is a waste of time, remind yourself that the couple in their twenties in Olive Garden who’s being all sappy and cliche probably hasn’t had a real date night in weeks because the semester is in full bloom.

A super romantic and cliche date is okay every now and then — treat yo-self.

And if you still don’t like Valentine’s Day, don’t ruin it for the couples that want to celebrate their relationship. If Feb. 14 is just another day, then go about your business and maybe you’ll get a chuckle out of some couple’s embarrassing PDA and you can get a ton of views on your Snapchat story. Then the next day, you get to go to Walmart and buy half-priced chocolate. It’s a win-win.

Yes, we’ve all been single on Valentine’s Day, when the only valentine or piece of candy that you receive is from your mom. I’ve been there, and I agree it sucks. But instead of thinking of it as Single’s Awareness Day, think of it as a day to remind your parents, your grandparents, and your friends how much you love them.

The point is that romance is good for long-term or even new couples, and they shouldn’t feel embarrassed about wanting to enjoy a day dedicated to their relationship. The world can use a little more compassion these days.

Let’s start by eating a pack of candy together on Valentine’s Day.

Bite Me, Valentine.

Nothing says “You’re special” like a mass-produced sentiment written by someone else.

Think about it. The card you bought your significant other was probably bought by 1,000 other people. Written by someone else, shared with everyone else.

It’s not that I hate Valentine’s Day. And it’s not that I dislike Valentine’s Day because I’m single and lonely; it’s just that I have better things to do than celebrate by myself. Even when I was in a relationship, the hype and build-up just didn’t seem worth it. Besides, if you really love someone, you should show them every day, not just in the middle of February.

Gestures of love and kindness should happen throughout the entire year.

When I was younger, my mom would buy all of her kids a cheap heart-shaped variety pack of chocolates, and that was enough for me. I felt loved every day, but it was nice to have a special treat. As I get older, I realize more that what I need most is to surround myself with people I want to stick around in the long-run. I don’t need a relationship. I would rather focus on something worthwhile right now, like school and my future in terms of everything that’s not romance.

Also, why pay full price for chocolate someone else is going to eat when you can buy your own the day after for half-price or cheaper. Chocolate always tastes better when it’s on sale. I’d rather print out those Valentine’s cards that circulate social media, because at least they’re funny and will give me something to be happy about.

Spend the day with friends. Spend it by yourself, if you’re into that kind of loneliness. Buy yourself flowers from Aldi and watch Netflix for a couple hours, I promise your happiness will last longer than the roses that doubled in price due to the holiday.