Valentine’s for the Non-Romantic
Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels
How does one celebrate Valentine’s without a love interest or an interest in love? Each year, February 14th approaches and passes with little fanfare. Well, that might not actually be true for most people, but it is for me. As an aromantic person, I have no interest in having a romantic relationship. It is as simple as that, but then Valentine’s rolls around the corner. People begin to celebrate their love and spend time with their partners. It's like everyone else gets to have a whole extra holiday!
However, it does not have to be this way. Valentine’s might be a day of love, but that does not have to be limited to only romantic love. There are many different types of love. We can love our parents, our friends, and our community. There is example after example that I could list. I believe that this is the year to go back to that school kid mentality and share the love with everyone we know and cherish.
In elementary school (and the occasional middle school class), we would make those little Valentine’s treats for our classmates. My mom often went above and beyond. She would make personal cards for each kid in my class. This was not simply some obligation she had to do. She could have bought those prepackaged Valentine’s if it was that simple. She made personalized notes, because she loved each and every one of the students, many of whom she had known since they were three or four years old. That is what I am talking about. That is a type of love to celebrate. Celebrate your relationships with those who have seen you grow. Celebrate the time you have spent with those who go above and beyond. Bring your mom or your grandma a bouquet of flowers. Bake some cookies for your neighbor who always came over to chat. Call your sister or your cousin and ask how they have been. A simple gesture that says “I’m thinking of you” can be a show of love and appreciation.
Of course, familial love is probably the easiest type to recognize. That does not mean it is the most important one to consider. The most important will vary from person to person. Mine, however, is the platonic love I feel for my friends. They are my support structure as I am for them. There is no way that my life would look like it does now if they were not here. I can bet the same is true for a lot of people. Why not celebrate that? Celebrate that love and that support in any way possible. It does not matter if it is through some grand gesture or a smaller moment. All that matters is sharing that love we feel for our friends. One of my best friends loves to find the perfect birthday gift each year. She always finds these amazing gifts that have so much meaning and significance. If I want to show her how much I love her during Valentine’s, then I look for a present. To show how much I love another friend, I would watch their favorite tv shows with them or give them a handmade card.
Why call it “Palentine’s” or “Galentine’s” day when the holiday can be a day for all love? Don’t get me wrong! I love a good pun, but why do we separate the types of love into something worth celebrating and something to celebrate only when there is no romantic option that year? Valentine’s day can be for the non-romantics too.
