Love In All Its Forms

Romance, romance, romance- that’s all that seems to be on the hearts and minds of people at a time of year like this one. Even with Valentine’s Day weeks behind us and swept away with melting snow, it seems to be that the focus of affection still revolves around the romantic.

The holiday’s history, filled to the brim with romance, fertility, terrible puns on cartoon-themed holiday cards, bland chocolates, and equally bland romantic comedies, has a habit of making those without a relationship feel excluded. However, rather than moping about “VD” whatevers and making “Single’s Awareness Day” jokes best left in 2010, singletons should broaden their horizons.

Love for one’s friends or family is just as important to one’s social health as romantic love. Acceptance is a basic need for a human’s mental well-being, and can be found in almost any relationship, be it romantic, platonic, or any and everything in between.

While one could certainly spend the entirety of every Feb. 14 complaining about romance (or lack thereof) to their fellow single friends, one could just as easily buy a package of 30 assorted childishly adorable cards to disperse among the people you love, spend time watching a movie with your family, or just be ridiculous with your friends. While sad music has a time and a place, listening to it purposefully on a day devoted to happy relationships is ridiculous and you should spend it doing something positive, instead.

With these ideas in mind, remember that romance, for the majority of people, is temporary. Devotion comes and goes, while well-sculpted friendships stick. Good friends exist to support one another throughout phases of relationships, and that’s just one of the things that makes platonic ties preferable to romantic ones.

This isn’t to say that romance is obsolete. Friendships are rocks, romantic bonds change like tides, and both types have their benefits and faults. Romance, however, is definitely something that doesn’t need to be placed on a pedestal as the end-all to life’s problems. Even with our next Valentine’s Day a year away, keep these thoughts in mind during other upcoming romantically-oriented holidays, and save yourself from whatever insecurities normally come as a result.