This Valentine’s Day…

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, about half of St Andrews is making bookings for dinner, buying cards and going to shops looking for flowers and sweet little presents. Whether you are buying lingerie and booking a table for two at Little Italy or planning on a shared Domino’s deal and an evening of Rick and Morty cuddled up in bed, February 14th conventionally means a day to show the person you like – or maybe even love – how much they mean to you in your own way. While this half of St Andrews plans how to show their boyfriends and girlfriends how much they mean to them, the other half is left with a choice: to either mourn the absence of sweet words and thoughtful gifts, or to celebrate what it means to be single. While relationships are nice, comfortable, occasionally passionate, and often comforting, they nonetheless can easily make us lose hold of ourselves and all of the other wonderful people surrounding us. Being single means being independent and, yes, sometimes lonely; but it also means having the chance to really live. There are so few times in our lives when we aren’t entangled with a boyfriend or girlfriend, chasing after a crush, or stuck on a heart break. It’s in these moments that we have the ability to put all of that wasted energy into ourselves and our friends. Being single means growing alone, and realising what you need, want, and hope for. It’s such a cliché to write about being single on Valentine’s Day, but it’s such a good reminder to appreciate the friends that care about you.  

Relationships come and go and people fall out of love, but your friends are the ones who will drag you home from the Union, without judging, after one too many messy bombs. Your friends are the people who will be there to pick up the pieces after a rough night out, a painful breakup, or a low mark on an essay.  

If you are single this Valentine’s Day, have a drink with you friends and appreciate that you aren’t spending £100 on overpriced sushi. Give your friends the same amount of respect and love that you would give a loved one, because they are the ones that will be in your life unconditionally. Valentine’s Day is a lovely opportunity to show your significant other how much you care, but it’s also a great opportunity to have a fun night out with friends and make memories with the people that will stick around through the ups and the downs. Your friends won’t lose interest in you or try to find something better. Whether you are single or in a relationship or it’s just complicated, this Valentine’s Day try to remember all of the people in your life who truly care. So, the choice remains: you can spend the day wishing for something you just don’t have, or you can use it as a reminder to appreciate the people who will never leave you.  

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