What's Wrong With Valentine's Day

I’ve never been a “romantic.” I don’t long for a fairytale romance nor does my heart melt while I watch The Notebook and, as you would probably guess, Valentine’s Day isn’t really my cup of tea.

My cynicism about Valentine’s Day isn’t bred off of my relationship status or a pessimistic outlook on love. I find it artificial, conventional and boring; a mere 24 hours in the 8,760 hours in a year where we go out to a fancy dinner, buy overpriced candy and treat each other the way we’re supposed to every day simply because our calendars told us to.

Love cannot be measured in how much money someone spends on fancy chocolate or a bouquet of flowers. No one can determine precisely what price of a piece of jewelry indicates an acceptable “benchmark” of what is or isn’t “true love.”

So, as you sit at home and are inclined to deduce your self worth on a box of chocolate or bouquet of flowers on one day, remember this: as much as advertisements try to persuade you to get stuck in this mentality of what’s “mandatory” on this “special” day, celebrate the love you receive from friends, family or a significant other on the ordinary days, where material gifts aren’t as seemingly necessary.

Love is something that sneaks in and fills in the tiny cracks everyday: a smile, a kiss on the cheek, a laugh, or a shoulder to cry on. How does a 30-second advertisement capture a feeling that people have written sonnets, songs and novels about for thousands of years? How do events occurring in a 24-hour period decide how one feels about another?

It’s superficial to reduce a relationship to one, arbitrary day. Focus on what the smaller, everyday blessings you receive from your loved ones when there’s no pressure of what to get or where to go. Take time to relive the memories of great times you’ve had with your friends and family. Wouldn’t your spontaneous, non-planned memories mean so much more than a dinner or present you received because it’s what a Hallmark holiday told you to do?

This Valentine’s Day, celebrate because you want to, not because you have to. Celebrate how you want to, if at all. This day shouldn’t just focus on couples. Love your family, friends and most importantly, yourself. Everyday. Because it’s your choice, not the calendar’s.

Waverly Colville is a freshman at the University of Missouri studying journalism and international relations. Originally from Buffalo, New York, she hopes to one day become an international correspondent. Waverly is a beat writer covering the student government for her school newspaper, The Maneater, and a correspondent for E23, the entertainment show on the school TV station. Waverly loves fashion, traveling, music and chai tea lattes. Find her at her blog, waverlycolville.wordpress.com and on Twitter at @wavecolville.