Romancing Yourself
By Vanessa Jordan
As February approached, thoughts of Valentine’s Day came to mind. I started thinking about all of the familiar stories seen – we all know the ones: A list of what you and your special someone can do on that special day, complete with photos of a couple looking so much in love. Sharing kisses, hugs, flowers and candy.
However, there was a big problem that I had with the whole concept, though it seemed that many people I mentioned Valentine’s Day to didn’t seem the point of acknowledging the day since they didn’t have a special someone to share it with.
One friend told me a sad Valentine’s Day she had even though then friends called to wish her a happy Valentine’s Day. She even got tones of candy and flowers. While I replied that I didn’t understand why it was such a sad day, she said, “Sure, I got a lot of calls and some treats, but since I’m not seeing anyone, it just wasn’t the same thing.”
This really disturbed me. I mean, how did a day that was originally conceived to celebrate love – all kinds of love, not just romantic love, turn into a day that made most people completely depressed? Why were so many of us walking around feeling that Valentine’s Day was only for those who had a “beloved?”
Some friends I spoke to went so far as to say that the day exuded the thought that you’re nothing without a partner. Funny, I thought, if you don’t have a turnkey on Thanksgiving that doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate the holiday.
Finally, after so many of those, “what’s the point of celebrating Valentine’s Day” conversations, one someone I spoke to said something that sparked an idea. She said, “I wish I could learn to do the things I want someone to do for me on Valentine’s Day then maybe I wouldn’t feel so sad when the day comes around.
YES, I thought! Why didn’t she do just that? It seemed an excellent idea to me. Then I remembered…we’re not taught or usually told how to celebrate Valentine’s Day alone. Oh sure, there may be one or two stories out there about how to enjoy having dinner by yourself, but in all honesty does a recommendation like that really hit the spot? The answer for me is, no!
This is where the concept of ROMANCING YOURSELF came from. I wanted to show the beauty and importance of learning how to romance someone who should be the most important person in your life: YOU!
I hope that the information gathered will be a Valentine’s gift that we give to ourselves. One that will help to recognize and celebrate our inner beauty. One that will bring a sense of adventure, beauty and love into our lives.
Enjoy…
