Hey guys, did you miss me?? For those of you who don’t know who I am; first of all, rude, and second of all, I’m the Grinch of Valentine’s Day. I told you last year that I would update if I ever figured out the hype surrounding Valentine’s Day, and let’s just say my feelings are even more complicated, especially after this recently past holiday. I never knew it was possible, but I seem to have an even more complicated relationship with romance than I did a bit over a year ago. Why, you ask? Well, that’s a great question. I’d love to tell you. 

A year ago, I told you that you should love your person everyday, and I still stand by that, maybe even more so this year. This last year has taught me a lot about connections and being there for the people around you, and dare I say even love. Love is not something that is shared on holidays and birthdays, love is something that occurs everyday, and it’s constantly around you. I mentioned something last year, the small act of doing the dishes. I have a person who does my dishes now. I have a person that is always up for an adventure, a person that holds me accountable, a person that will drop everything to answer my calls, a person that keeps me safe, a person that fuels the chaos, a person that makes me softer around the edges, a person that listens to me vent. 

I have a person that makes me laugh until I can’t breathe, no matter how bad my day has been. I have a person that holds me close when it feels like I can’t even hold myself together. I’m even lucky enough to have a group of people that do all of these things. This must be what love is about. It isn’t about the flowers or the candy or the Instagram posts with declarations of love as the caption. Believe me, I saw enough posts talking about “ups and downs”, like we don’t all know what the downs were, but I digress. Instead, it’s about the people that make you feel whole, regardless of your flaws. Reader, if you’re lucky enough to find these people, make sure you tell them how much they mean to you. There’s no way to know how many opportunities you’ll have. 

While last year I mentioned my friends, a lot can happen in a year. Much like a lot of college students, I thought true love could only come from a romantic relationship. I’m here to tell you I was wrong, and you know I mean it, because I’m always right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a wretched hater and will more than likely always be to my very core, just because some things never change. Even after this year, you’ll never see me buy the heart-shaped chocolates, or the cheaply made stuffed teddy bear, but you will continue to see me have a greater appreciation for this whole “love” thing. I guess perspective really does change a person.  

In all honesty, I never needed February 14th to tell me this. In fact, I spent this year sick and alone on my couch. Instead of taking this free time to work on essays (apologies to my professors), I spent it thinking of the people that have changed me over the last year. I thought of the person that cleaned my entire kitchen the moment I started to feel bad. I thought of the person that offered to get sick just to give me a hug, who is also the one that always seems to know the right things to say. And I thought of the person that is trying to get me to love myself as much as all of these people seem to love me. 

To the people mentioned above, I am grateful for you, and I’m sorry if I don’t say it enough. I don’t need a special day to tell you how much you mean to me, but I hope you can feel it every time I look in your direction, and I hope this piece filled with sap helps too.

Maybe Valentine’s Day still sucks, I did spend it sick after all, but I guess the whole love thing can be okay if you really think about it. If you celebrated Valentine’s Day, I won’t hold any malice towards you, I just will never be joining you. I will however emphasize the importance of loving the people around you everyday, the world needs it now more than ever. I express love to you for reading, and knowing that together we will all #besouthwestern. 

Signing off once and for all, 

The Not-So Grinch of Valentine’s Day