Changed circumstances/mindset and all, I am still sad about Valentine's Day. I know first hand that if done wrong, Valentine's Day is a mere excuse. It is trivial - allowing so many people to express love in the form of flowers and chocolates on one single day of the year and completely blindside every other day.

If you love someone truly, every day is Valentine's Day. Expressions of love and affection are given subtly; whether that's picking someone up from work, taking time out to completely devote yourself to listening to someone, making someone their favourite meal, celebrating a takeaway, or incorporating gifts like flowers randomly into every day life. It doesn't have to involve commercialised novelty gifts, but it can, and it shouldn't be restricted to one day of the year.

I risk sounding contradictory when I say that I think Valentine's Day is wonderful as a celebration of love and everything that comes with it - but going back, it should not be the only romantic day of the year. It similarly shouldn't be used to mask problems within a relationship with elaborate or expensive gifts. Romance is glorious. Make every day romantic. Face relationship issues head on and celebrate moving past them, appreciate and grab hold of opportunities to grow together. Treasure your love for someone and their love for you. Use Valentine's Day as a reminder to do it every day, and maybe restore anything lost in the passage of time. 

Celebrate FRIENDSHIP. Cherish your friends and everything they do for you and everything you can do for them. Appreciate everyone and everything that matters. Do it every day - Valentine's Day included. Buy your FRIENDS flowers, bake them cookies, tell them that you love and appreciate them and remind them that if they need you, you'll be there with open arms. Send letters traditionally. Should a relationship fail, your friends will be your support network. Keep it strong. Keep each other strong.

Know that you are not any less of a person because you haven't found love yet. Similarly, you are not any less independent if you are craving that companionship. Use your relations with others to strengthen yourself, but know that you are just as whole and just as wonderful when standing solo. Let Valentine's Day be a day of self-love. Take time out to appreciate your body and everything it does for you, even if that is just keeping your heart beating and a smile on your face. Use the day to focus and work on your mental health, do something you enjoy. Exercise, baking, laughing, listening to music, SLEEPING.

Love who you are. Love your friends, your family, your partner. Do something kind for a stranger.  Valentine's Day in it's purest form is a celebration of love. Take that energy and carry it as far across the year as you can. Let it remind you of how good it feels to love and be loved.