Be My Valentine?

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and this Sunday I'll yet again be (cue music) alll byyy myyysseeelllfff. But unfortunately, my relationship status -  and probable future as a cat lady - is not what this blog post is going to be about. 

Come February 14th, I always find myself wondering how such a holiday came to exist. Is it really just a holiday to celebrate love and romance and give people a day to do the whole "hearts and flowers" thing? Is it a scheme to sell things to annoyingly cute couples, make single people sad, or give cynics a reason to smirk? What is Valentine's Day actually about? Well this year, I decided to do a little research to get to the bottom of it.

The holiday has evolved into a more modern form, where people buy chocolates and cards, and elementary school students exchange little handwritten love notes. Some even choose to shoot rifles, like the Penn State rifle club (a way to, how do you say? cope with being single on Valentine's Day. Really, whatever works. It still sounds like fun to me, I'm definitely going to try it out!)

Courtesy of dosavannah.com

You have all probably heard of St. Valentine, and you might be surprised by the fact that Valentine's Day is a little darker than it seems. Do you know who Saint Valentine really is? According to legend, there was an emperor in Rome that believed single men made better soldiers, so he outlawed marriage. St. Valentine, a believer in love and romance, continued to marry couples despite the decree made by the Roman emperor. But when St. Valentine was discovered, he was ordered to be put to death. He was executed on February 14th, and considered to be a martyr -- for love.

St. Valentine saw the injustice that was the decree, so he disobeyed orders in the name of love. And because of his actions and sacrifice, people still celebrate love and commitment to this day.


But in reality, even when you're single, love is still all about the connection you have with people. Whether this love is romantic or platonic, it's still important to remember that love has many forms, and Valentine's Day can be about any type of love. That can even mean taking this day to remember not to take your friends for granted, and to be grateful for the people you do have in your life.

St. Valentine
Courtesy of Google Trends 2016

When I got to college, I had a friend from high school who I thought would be in my life forever, but in a few short months I realized that true love cannot be forced. Just because you've been friends for a long time doesn't mean you'll be friends forever. Love can be disguised within a friendship that just isn't meant to be, but true love can manifest itself within new friendships.

So, this Valentine's Day, I challenge you to love your friends. Love your significant others, love your parents, love your siblings, love yourself. I challenge you to find a reason that justifies the sacrifice that St. Valentine made for everyone.

Courtesy of Wikimedia