Some Ways to Make It Easier

If you’ve ever read about the history of Valentine’s Day then you know it did not start out the way it has ended up. It has only been in the last century or so that it became more about couples and outward expressions of love and romance.

Living in an Air Force/Army base town I often see families separated from loved ones during Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holidays. Valentine’s Day is a day that can be sad and lonely for some too. If you’ve had a recent breakup or maybe have even lost a spouse or partner, then you probably wish you could sleep through February 14th. Here are a couple things you can do if you do not have a partner this Valentine’s Day.

Take a day for yourself. Missing all those flower deliveries to the office might make this a good day to ask for a day off from work. Use the day to do something for yourself that you might not normally do such as sleeping a little later or binge watching your favorite tv show. Use some free time during the day to plan something fun for the weekend so you aren’t focusing so much on the day.

Remind yourself that there is nothing wrong with being single. Everybody is single at one time or another. If this is your first Valentine’s Day after a breakup or loss, seek out friends and meet for coffee or a walk. And if your friends are all working, take your pet for a walk, look around in a book store, or treat yourself to a double scoop of your favorite ice cream! I’ve even had a triple scoop!

Gayla Partin, LISW-CP, Counseling Sumter LLC