Being single often means cringing when the calendar turns to February. I’ll never forget running into my grocery store one Valentine’s Day. It seemed the whole store was pink and red. I passed several men checking out with bouquets and candy, and the card aisle was packed with people searching for the perfect card.
It made being single stand out. I was one in a world that felt like it was made for two. Being single on Valentine’s Day can be hard, but there’s no reason to merely try to survive the day or write it off altogether as only for couples. We can turn what might be a hard day into a good day with these 5 ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day when you’re single.
1. Love on your children.
My husband was the fun dad; I tend to be the rule enforcer. Now, as a single mom, I often have to be the heavy or all-business as I plow through my to-do list. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to break from the routine and lavish our kids with love, like by giving a hand-written note telling our children the good and the gifts we see in them.
2. Celebrate your friends.
Celebrating friendship on Valentine’s Day helps us realize how many loving people we have in our lives. Friends fill our worlds with laughter on the good days and offer a listening ear and real conversation on the hard days. Whether it’s work friends who regularly make our day or old friends we rarely get to see, we can reach out with something as simple as an email or e-card and let them know how much they mean to us.
3. Surprise another single mom or widow.
One of the best ways to brighten what might be a hard day is to bring light to someone else’s day. Chances are you know another single mom or widow who needs encouragement. I’m smiling just thinking of the joy a simple bouquet of flowers or a gift would bring to my widowed neighbor who gets few visitors with no local family.
4. Thank your parents.
The older my parents get, the more I find myself looking for opportunities to give back to them. Moms know how much our own parents have done for us and for our children over the years. And while we may feel thankful, we don’t often express it. A Valentine’s Day card can help us intentionally thank our parents and let them know how much they mean to us.
5. Give yourself the gift of self-care.
Be your own valentine and give yourself some needed self-care. Maybe you need an evening out to think your own thoughts or refresh your own soul. Maybe you need permission to shop for yourself or pamper yourself with a pedicure. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to remember you are valuable and worth the gift of self-care.
How have you turned being single on Valentine’s Day into something good?
