Valentine's Day, Schmalentine's Day

In elementary school, Valentine's Day was my favorite holiday. I used to love all the pink and red heart decorations my teachers would hang up. I loved going to the store with my mom and picking out Valentine's Day cards to hand out to all my classmates. I loved decorating my box or bag for the Valentines I was going to receive on that day. I loved counting how many cards I received and seeing if I received one from my crush. I loved conversation hearts, heart shaped lollipops, and the red and pink sugar cookies. I just loved Valentine's Day.

In high school, the afternoon announcements came on 20 minutes early just to call out everyone who received flowers to come to the office to pick their arrangements up. I always waited with anticipation but my name was always called. One year I swear I had the most beautiful flowers out of any girl; lavender and red roses. I know they can do a lot with flowers now a days, but back then lavender roses like those I had never seen before. I was a lucky girl. I never thought about what if I didn't get flowers or how I would feel if my name wasn't called, seeing all the other girls walking to their cars with their packages and going home empty handed.

Even in college I loved Valentine's Day. My boyfriend and I were long distance but we would still celebrate V Day by spending the weekend together. I think it was my last year of college that Valentine's Day started going down hill for me. I believe it was the day before Valentine's Day(it seems so long ago and can't remember all the details) my boyfriend and I decided to end things. I haven't celebrated a Valentine's Day since then. Okay, so maybe 2 years after that, the guy I was dating at the time met me at work with a rose and took me to dinner on my lunch break, but that's it. It's been 6 years of not celebrating this holiday. No flowers, stuffed animals, jewelry, candy, dinner, spending time with a person I love. And getting gifts from your parents doesn't count! (Sorry mom)

Now I'm the girl in high school that didn't hear her name get called. I'm that girl that left at the end of the day empty handed. I'm the girl with the empty heart decorated box. At least in elementary school the teacher made us give a Valentine to everyone.

I know in my post "The Story of my Singleness" I said I was okay and comfortable with being single. This is still true, but it doesn't mean it's easy being single, especially on a day like this. Seeing all the window displays at the mall with all the hearts and pinks and reds. Seeing couples with their PDA for all to see. Helping guys shop for cute bras and undies for their loves(I work in a bra and undies store for those of you that didn't know. I don't just help random guys look at girls underwear, it's my job!) I was hoping that maybe this year might be different, but it seems my guy-dyslexia has kicked in. Therefore, I will be spending this Valentine's Day with the love of my life, WORK.

It's weird how much your preferences can change throughout the years. I never would have thought that one day I would hate Valentine's Day. Maybe one day I will grow to love this day once again, but for now I'm gonna keep continuing what I do best; being the fun, spontaneous, independent, hard working, single girl I've grown to be.