Let someone know you care on V-Day

Breeze Reader's View

"I don't know when I got bitter/Love is surely better when it's gone." I admit with no amount of shame that the highly popular song "You Wanted More" by Tonic has been in my head the past couple of days — particularly the line you just read.

I guess it's that time of the year when all of us "singletons," as Bridget Jones from "Bridget Jones's Diary" calls us, involuntarily unite in our promotion of "Singles' Awareness Day" — the one clique we wish we weren't cool enough to be in.

In just a few days, it'll be flowers, chocolates and dinners out for the young couples in love. I'd normally feel uptight, just like the other singletons, but this year I gave Valentine's Day some consideration instead.

It was not long ago that I, myself, was happily "in love." I looked forward to Valentine's Day like guys look forward to the Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition, and when that day finally came, I expected flowers, a romantic dinner — at the very least, a Hallmark card. Would you like to know what I got? Body wash.

Even though it was the really nice kind and it was my favorite scent in the whole world, all I could think was, "Does he think I smell?" I almost cried – well actually I did, but only after I had smiled politely and said, "Thanks so much pal, it's what I always wanted."

When I consider this story, I reason that it's understandable if I'm slightly disappointed in the commercial aspect of Valentine's Day — sometimes it can be a real letdown.

But, before I let myself get too caught up in the overrated ness of Valentine's Day, just know that there are things I wish I'd known then that I know now.

For starters, the guy made it up to me later. I woke up one morning to find 93 hand-cut paper hearts that had been slid underneath my door, each one with a memory or something special about our relationship. And that day … well, that day felt like the first day of the rest of my life.

It wasn't Valentine's Day, it wasn't Christmas, it was a Monday. It was then that I realized that February 14 is not the only day of celebration when you're in love — every day is. And it's not about the material gifts — it's about the gift of having someone to love.

What I'm trying to say is, for all you singletons, don't get all lonely and bent out of shape over this holiday because, really, it's not worth it.

When you find that special guy or girl, every moment you are with them is going to feel like Valentine's Day, and that will make up for the 20 or so V-Day's that sucked.

And, you couples who are mad because, to you, this is the most special holiday all year, enjoy it; but, I promise it's not the date that is making the day special — it's the person you're sharing it with.

This brings me to my final point — nowhere, and I do mean nowhere (believe me I looked — twice) does it say in the mighty Book of Love that Valentine's Day has to be about romantic love. This V-Day, revel in friends — trade corny sweetheart cards, get gag gifts, make dinner for yourselves and pop in a season of "Sex and the City" — I promise it will make you feel not only better, but loved, too. And that, my friends, is the whole point of Valentine's Day.

Ashley Lusk is a junior technical and scientific communication major.