How to handle Valentine’s Day without a boyfriend
I dragged myself out of bed to do some much needed grocery shopping this morning. It was like any other day. I made myself look decent, jumped into my car for the 200 metre drive into the little mall down my road, parked and headed towards my usual grocery store. I walked into the store and amidst the business of Saturday shoppers, I stared straight ahead – my heart beating faster, palms becoming sweaty and panic settling in.
Before me stood a massive array of cards, roses and other little gifts in every shade of pink and red imaginable. Right there...in a GROCERY store...was a gigantic reminder, weeks in advance, of the day single women pray will never come around.
Saint Valentine’s Day – a day of love. The day that men are obligated to spoil their women to show their love and appreciation. It’s all very romantic and no matter what girls have to say about the day, they’re genetically programmed to want to be treated like the princess they always dreamed of being.
My colleague seems to have the best husband in the world. Last year, every day of the week of Valentine’s Day, he sent her flowers, chocolates and a teddy bear to the office. She was the envy of the department as every girl wanted to be her.
As utterly romantic as it is to be the lucky recipient of showers of Valentine’s Day affection, the day becomes rather sad for single girls. The weeks before V-day, the store advertising, radio and TV commercials, funny emails, water cooler conversation and catching up with friends are all constant reminders of being single. And it’s not just about a single status, there’s a reflection of past Valentine’s Days being spent alone, currently not having someone special to spend the ‘love’ season with and the seemingly bleak future of felines for future V-day companionship.
I am not spending V-day wishing 21 December 2012 will come early so I’ve decided to put together a list of things that I think could keep the unloved feelings at bay whilst having the same amount of fun that I would have on any other day.
A singles evening
I tried to organise this last year. I asked a couple of single friends to get all dressed up and we can have dinner somewhere despite the fully booked restaurants with ridiculously priced menu offerings. Maybe this year, I’ll round up all the singletons I can find so there’ll be less of a chance that everyone will bail. *side eyes my friends that ditched me last year* And the singles event doesn’t have to be a stuffy fancy dinner, maybe an informal game of pool for everyone to socialise, have a chance to play and most importantly, to have fun!
Pamper yourself
Being by myself just makes me lonely and depressed but if you prefer alone time then this is the best time to treat yourself to a relaxing day at the spa. You’ll come out feeling like a Goddess which will lift up your spirits. There’s also nothing that retail therapy can’t fix – buy yourself that expensive gift you’ve been eyeing. You deserve to spoil yourself.
Girl’s night out
If you’re fortunate enough to have enough single girl friends that are keen to paint the town red, put on that sexy red dress and don your favourite pair of stilettos and head to the cocktail lounge of your choice. There’s still single guys out there and maybe being dressed to the nine’s might score you an unexpected free drink from another patron of the establishment. If all else fails, you would have had a fun night catching up with your girls.
Make someone else feel special
A friend in college once bought little ornament type gifts for all the single girls he knew. Yes it might still remind you that you don’t want to be single but it feels amazing to be handed a thoughtful unexpected gift. Maybe do the same for your single friends. Giving will make you feel good and receiving will make them feel great. Who said we can’t engineer Valentine’s Day to also be about appreciating our platonic friends?
A night in
Thankfully Valentine’s Day falls on a weekday this year so if you’re really busy at work, it’s only the evening that you need to plan for. Forget your usual evening responsibilities. Instead, pick up a movie on your way home, cook your favourite dish, have a long relaxing bubble bath with a glass of wine and watch your movie while eating your supper. End the evening off with a book in bed. You’ve just spent a commercialised day in, away from all the frenzy, making you your number one priority. Before you know it, your alarm clock will signal that it’s back to work and the end of V-day.
If you anticipate the dreaded feeling of misery on Valentine’s Day, there’s many ways to appreciate yourself, ignore the festivities or join in with some friends. What will you be up to on 14 February?
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