When was the last time you heard the words “I love you”? Not “ILY’ or “Love ya,” but the most universal expression in the world. When was the last time you said “I love you” to someone else? Who did you say it to? Was it genuine?
Valentine’s Day has just passed, and although it’s the bane of many of our existences, you may feel obligated to send a couple of people a happy ‘Sorry we celebrate this holiday’ text. We laugh at couples that grope each other in Starbucks, the plush teddy bears advertised for grown women in CVS and those godforsaken Hugh Grant movies because it’s all so ridiculous.
But this holiday emphasizes the three words that Stevie Wonder so desperately wanted to convey via telephone. The anxiety behind communicating this sentiment is that “I love you” is often synonymous with “I’m in love with you.”
Our generation has become too immured in its own awkwardness to articulate its feelings with clarity. “I love you … but not like that. I mean, I think you’re cool, but … you know what I mean.” For some people, expressing love or affection requires a complicated explanation or an apology. Feelings of embarrassment or even inferiority wash over us whenever we’re brave enough to utter “I love you.”
Sometimes when kids are little, they think they’re too old or too cool to kiss their parents anymore. Then they grow up and understand that kissing is a great way to show affection. Saying “I love you” to a significant other can be as simple as saying it to a friend. Even if you and your significant other swear that you think the holiday is corny and stupid, it’s still nice to hear those words.
If you relish in post-Valentine’s Day activities like ironically watching “The Notebook” or spooning your cat, there may be fun opportunities to enjoy the holiday. Buy Spongebob Valentine cards and Russell Stover chocolates on the discount aisle. Give them to people you love. Don’t just survive Valentine’s Day; embrace it. In the wake of a holiday that often fosters feelings of loneliness and depression, let people know you’re thinking about them. Even a simple smile to a stranger or a laugh at somebody’s joke can make people feel a little more connected.
It’s easy to feel vulnerable when you don’t have a significant other or someone special to share the day with. You don’t need a relationship to feel good, but sometimes it’s nice. Get together with friends or people you love and spend the day together. Buy roses, write letters and say “I love you.”