I spent my final Valentine's Day as a single woman completely alone. And while you might think that's sad, it happened to be the exact opposite. It was actually one of the happiest days of my life.
It was a Sunday. I texted back and forth, just a little, with someone I had a crush on. But there was absolutely no obligation, on either end, to make a move. I read a book, I watched movies, I hung out with my dog. For dinner, I ordered too much food from my local pizza place and drank wine and had an epiphany, as one does.
This was not your expected "I don't need a man" revelation, though it was and still is technically true. This was something different, a realization I had never come to before. If this was the rest of my life -- if I never found someone to spend my life with, if I had friends and family but no romantic partner for the rest of forever -- I would be okay.
Romance does not have to be the end goal. It doesn't have to be your primary source of happiness. If you're tired of looking for love, if nothing ever seems to work out, if you're no longer happy with your current partner -- heck, if you're just not interested right now or ever -- then you can decide to be single, for now or for a while or for all time.
You can spend every Valentine's Day like it's a normal day. Or you can spend it treating yourself to all your favorite things. You can eat as much pizza as you want without having to share it, enjoy the moment, knowing you're enough to make you feel loved.
Couples are under a lot of pressure this time of year to somehow act like they love each other differently or more than all the other days of the year. Even though I did eventually fall in love with someone and am happy where I'm at, this day is stressful. I often find myself wishing it didn't exist. It doesn't always feel special; it feels, in some ways, forced.
So if you're single on Valentine's Day this year -- or you aren't, but wish you were (can't relate, but no judgment) -- that's not something to be ashamed of. It's normal. For you, it might even be the better option.