On the Soap Box - Happy Valentine's Day

I don't remember when it started, but somewhere in the last 21.5 years I have fallen in love with love. For all intents and purposes I will blame one, Samantha Kealoha, and you know why. I think out of the trio she was the one most set on never letting us forget Valentine's Day. February 14th never passed without us celebrating in properly. Thanks, dear.

However, on the SVU campus we have a disease called "Im-going-to-celebrate-singles-awareness-day-and-not-Valentines-Day-because-Im-single". Personally, I want to know where this came from. I never heard of Singles Awareness Day until my freshman year at SVU when girls ran around on 2.14 with "SAD" shirts on. Really? This year, in our schools newspaper publication (for which I manage the finances) had our Valentines Issue come out without me really... looking at it before hand. Since some of you do not go to SVU or are not close enough to campus to check it out, I'll sum it up for you - One article was "A Single Girls Guide to an Anti-Valentines Day Celebration".

What?!

Since when is being single a reason to not like Valentine's Day? Since when are women now so controlled by their relationship status that if they are not with someone they automatically feel the desire... nay, right to wallow in self-pity for 24 hours. I do have a friend with a great excuse for preferring SAD to Valentine's but the rest of you have no excuse, sorry.

Valentine's Day may be a holiday that is highly commercialized. It may be a day that kind of makes you sick from all the excessive pda couples feel they can show because its Valentine's Day but you know what? Its a great day!

It is a day to remember love. All kinds of love. Love from your parents, and to them. Love for the rest of your family. Love for the best friends that are so fantastic you just spent nearly $500 for a plane ticket (and you hate flying) just so you can see them. Is it wrong if I say this is even a day to remember the greatest gift of love, ever, The Atonement. No.

It is a day to love.

To remember love, to share love, to be obnoxious about love with construction paper hearts and thickly iced cookies, to dance around with your best friend at the last Valentine's dance you'll be in the same state for.

Off the soapbox.

:)

Now for some pictures of my last few Valentine's celebrations in Virginia.

Freshman Year - Sadie Hawkins Dance

Sophomore Year - Brayden & I broke up and then got back together on Valentines Day
Looking back, especially at this photo, Im not suprised we broke up two weeks later
:)

Senior Year - At the SVU Valentines Day Rave with Mal

Senior Year - Valentines Day
Celebrating National Creeper Day (take 2) with some of my FHE "Kids"

All in all, some really fun times have been had.