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Print It is that most dreaded time of year. No, not tax time—Valentine’s Day. A time of red roses, chocolate candies, hearts, more flowers, and chubby little babies with bows and arrows (whose bright idea was that?). I’ll be the first to admit that Valentine’s Day is not my favorite holiday; although, I think I’ve progressed nicely from the days in high school where I threatened to wear all black on February 14th. I’d even venture to say that I’ve become an expert at being single on Valentine’s Day. And I am not alone. Did you know that the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are 80 million single Americans? That’s funny, being single feels a whole lot lonelier than that. I never realized that I was part of such a large group. Unfortunately, the words “single,” “happy,” and “valentine” just don’t mesh for some people. To them Valentine’s Day feels like what Christmas must be to a Tibetan monk. Yet the reality is that at some point in time, all of us have or will have been alone on Valentine’s Day. Yes, it is only one day of the year, but for those who are alone it is a day that can have an impact that lasts for months. You may find yourself thinking about happier times, or longing for what you’ve never had. Then, before long you are walled up inside of yourself and hiding from the world. The Scripture tells us, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Most of us wish King Solomon had gone on to say “a time to be single, and a time to not.” Unfortunately, Solomon never had a problem with being single. This year, instead of trying to avoid the onslaught of flowers and heart-shaped boxes, why not do something different. Find a way to celebrate and embrace being single. There are hundreds of ideas out there and we all have diverse things that we enjoy so the possibilities are limitless. Here are a few ideas I’ve pulled together for surviving Valentine’s Day with your sanity intact: 1. Send yourself a bouquet of your favorite flowers to work—Act astonished when they show up and enjoy the novelty of having flowers on your desk. They are sure to brighten your day and they’ll look great on the kitchen table when you get home. And since you sent them to yourself, you can rest assured that they’re exactly what you wanted. 2. Call someone you love and tell them how much you love them and that you’re thinking about them. This works best with parents, siblings, and friends. It’s not such a hot idea to use this on the person that you have not so secretly obsessed over for years or on the recently single Brad Pitt. Then you only look like a stalker. And that is a sure way to ruin your Valentine’s Day. 3. Treat yourself to a special luxury—A one hour massage, those ridiculously expensive shoes that you’ve been eyeing for weeks, a membership to a gym, tickets to a play, or an I-Pod. Think of it this way, if you were not single you’d spend that money to make it a memorable day for someone else, aren’t you worth at least as much? 4. Stay home and avoid the “rush”—Rent a video (didn’t you hear Blockbuster did away with late fees?), curl up in your favorite PJs, and order dinner in from your favorite local restaurant. You’ll avoid the two hour wait that everyone else has to endure and the true bonus is that you won’t have to watch anyone carrying overpriced flowers, opening sappy gifts, or staring longingly into each other’s eyes. 5. Throw a party—Invite other single friends (if you can find any), and have them each bring a friend of the opposite sex that they are not dating and a dish. You end up with a great dinner and you get to meet new people while saving others from being alone. In my book that spells HERO. 6. Buy some Valentines (you know the ones you gave out as a kid) and give them out to your friend’s children or the little kids at church. Kids love getting Valentine’s and their joy isn’t dependent upon who the card is from. Trust me on this, I teach a 2-3 year old Sunday school class and I am amazed at the power of this little card to warm even the most hardened of hearts. Hey, considering their effect, why not try giving them out to your older friends? Oh, and don’t forget to add candy to them, they’re more effective (with young and old alike) that way. 7. Ask someone out on a date—Go ahead, be bold. Yes, you face the possibility of rejection. On the other hand you also might not have to spend the evening alone. Face it, unless you want to spend the rest of your life single, there’s going to have to come a time when you take that leap of faith and what better time than when the person you ask is probably just as lonely as you? Hey, if worse comes to worse and they say no, you can always use one of the other ideas!
ninetyandnine.com © 2005, Denelle Burns ------- Denelle Burns is single and lives in Southern California. This year she plans on spending Valentine’s Day in a mixture of ideas 3 and 4. |
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