Being Single for Valentine’s Day is Better Than you Think

I’ve been happily single for over a decade. I used to bemoan my single status when Valentine’s Day came around. I’ve since learned, over the years, that the day custom made for star-crossed lovers and chocolate manufactures can be just as good – nay, better – when you’re single. Here’s why:

1 – No Pressure

When I was in a relationship, there was so much pressure to get the perfect gift and plan the perfect evening. The problem was, you would have to plan that perfect evening months in advance because everyone else wanted to do the same thing. A friend and I went out one Valentine’s Day for a “single gals” dinner and that was even bad. The restaurant was so packed and chaotic. We were told by the server as soon as we’d sat down that we had 45 MINTUES TO ORDER AND EAT AND LEAVE STARTING RIGHT NOW. I can’t imagine how it would have been for a couple who had wanted it to be romantic. As a single person I now have zero pressure to plan an exquisite night to showcase my devotion. I can show my devotion to myself by using mysask411 to find some great local food delivery options, opening a bottle of wine and turning on Netflix. Stress-free bliss.

2 – No Expectations

How many times in your life have you expected something romantic for Valentine’s Day and your boyfriend at the time brings you home a stuffed gorilla he found in a bin at Walmart? Just me? Being single means that you can set your own Valentine’s Day gift expectations (a box of exquisite chocolates from Glad’s Chocolatier in Kerrobert or Those Girls at the Market in Saskatoon and a bottle of wine) and you can exceed them (several boxes of chocolates and a box of wine). You are the creator of your own destiny, my single friends. You can buy yourself (your one true love) anything and everything you want (Spa day at Manitou Springs Resort And Mineral Spa!). Why? Because it’s Valentine’s Day. And you’re awesome. And you deserve it.

3 – No Disappointment

For many, or maybe just me, Valentine’s Day can often end in disappointment. Watching flower deliveries come to the office for everyone but you. Enviously scrolling through Facebook and hate-liking all the images of gifts your friends are getting from the “loves of their lives.” I have a friend who buys herself chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day every year so she’s never disappointed. And why wouldn’t you do that? Why do you need someone else to buy you what you want? Single people: take the power back into your own hands! Find a florist near you , buy yourself flowers and post them on Facebook. Say, “Look at me, I got flowers AND tonight I get to eat what I want, watch what I want on TV and stretch out in a giant king-sized bed and drift off to sleep without someone snoring in my ear.”  I mean, how is that bad?

To summarize, Valentine’s Day is not just for couples. We need to learn to love ourselves more, and to treat ourselves more. If you’re single (or even if you’re not) celebrate yourself on Valentine’s Day. You’re worth it.

-Jamie Anderson is a Saskatchewan based writer. Her first novel, Someone to Kiss for New Year’s, will be published in October 2022.