Things Single People Can Do This Valentine

An illustration of People having a romantic moment.  Picture/Getty Images. 

Finally, it is Valentine season. Men are busy doing online shopping and looking for best online shops that offer home delivery for flowers, cakes and gifts. Certainly this is also the season some men ‘kidnap themselves’ to avoid the pressure associated with this day.

Many Stories are associated with Valentines connected to February 14, including a written account of Saint Valentine of Rome imprisonment for performing weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire.  

According to the legend, during his imprisonment Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his judge, and before his execution he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell.

Cupid is one of the Symbols that is associated to People in Love. Picture/Getty Images. 

To Kenyan’s, Valentine day is purely a day to celebrate love and people step out in color red to showcase their love.  This is usually the case in Meru County too as Cupid stricken young and old adults alike scramble for available spaces in popular entertainment and recreation spots.

With all the hullaballoos about Valentine, single people have been known to go to the extreme end to have a date on this special day. A case in point is Mutwiri* who last year travelled all the Way to the famous Tea Room from Meru for a valentine date with a girl he met on social media. Mutwiri ended up drinking 3 pints of Keg Beer alone after the date failed to show up. Poor Champ! He still regrets the ‘investment’ to date.

For the single heads, just because you’re single doesn’t mean you have to feel left out of the festivities. And if you’re single there are some unique ways you can celebrate and make the most out of Valentine’s Day.

Here are 5 ways to do so:

1. Love Thyself.

Ru Paul, a famous drag queen, and moderator of the show, Drag Race, always has the best quotes about self-love. Here is one to keep the top of mind on Valentine’s Day. ”When you become the image of your own imagination, it’s the most powerful thing you could ever do.” You don’t necessarily have to have a significant other to be powerful in your own right, but what does eventually attract the right person is you recognizing your own power.

Valentine’s Day is a good time for introspection and self-reflection. The love you receive is a direct correlation to the love you have for yourself. Take some time to exercise self-love.

2. Change your perception of Valentine’s Day in your mind.

Yes, you’re single. And just because you are not in a relationship now doesn’t mean it will be that way in the future or that is necessarily a bad thing.

Being single is a celebratory moment and one that is often overlooked. When you aren’t in the relationship, you have time to focus on, “You.” But, when you are in a relationship, inevitably that focus is shifted.

Take advantage of your time of being single. Enjoy it, embrace these moments, and use it to learn to be comfortable with yourself. It will make you that much more appealing and complete when you find someone who  compliments to you.

3. Take stock of your friends.

Valentine’s Day is a holiday which is supposed to be about love. Love isn’t only about the romantic kind, but non-romantic loves too.

Don’t forget those precious friendships! Have a V-Day potluck or meet up with your bestie or closest friends. Go to one of your favorite hanging spots and make V-Day about celebrating friends who make a difference in your life.

4. Celebrate and reflect on what you have learned from each relationship.

Valentine’s Day can also be a day for self-reflection of how past loves have made you a better person.

Celebrating your courage to leave an unhealthy relationship, not settling for the wrong person or maybe losing someone unexpectedly who taught you about ‘true love’ can be revisited if it has helped you to move forward, be stronger or braver.

 Every relationship you have teaches you about yourself, how much you have grown, and usually makes you better and better-rounded. No matter what, each connection with someone else teaches us something we liked, didn’t want or makes us realize a different aspect of who we are as individuals.

5. Pass the love forward.

It is the holiday of love, so if you want to do something that will pass along this love to others, there are so many ways to do so. 

The week of February 11 – 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Week. It’s a great initiative to do kind acts for others.

You can also check out your local community and see if there are some volunteer opportunities, visit the old, call your local hospital to see if there is something you can do with some of their sick patients.

Finally, Just because you’re single doesn’t mean Valentine’s Day can’t be celebratory for you too. Love comes in many forms and exercising self-love for yourself is one of the most important.

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