Alone on Valentine’s Day? 7 Tips for Enduring the Day of Endearment

Are you dreading Valentine’s Day?

Do Facebook posts about flowers and chocolates and dream dates remind you that you’ll be spending Valentine’s Day alone?

Do sappy commercials with googly-eyed couples drive home the reality that you’re single?

If so, join the crowd. There are many of us out there in that situation.

Yep. I’m one of them.

Most years Valentine’s Day barely registers. But every so often, I find myself acutely aware of my aloneness on this Day of Romance, and suddenly I feel excluded.

 You know how it goes…

— While other women are gasping over a solitaire diamond, you’re playing solitaire.

— While your girlfriends are experiencing Love Actually, you’re Home Alone.

— The only ardent, longing looks you get are from your cat at dinnertime.

So let’s change it up this year! Let’s be kind to ourselves and celebrate love. Real love.

 Here are 7 things I’ve tried that make the day special. See which ones work for you!

1. FIRST, Remember you’re NOT really alone. You are cherished by an awesome, present God! Invite Him into your day. Include Him in your celebration.
2. Buy yourself flowers to remind you of His love, His passion for you. Put them where you’ll see them throughout your day.
3. Indulge your senses with a spa treatment. A massage or facial does marvels for our need for touch. Get a mani-pedi.
4. Go out for a nice meal. Spoil yourself and get an appetizer. Appreciate the colors and aromas. Eat slowly and savor every bite. Imagine Jesus there with you.
5. Treat yourself to some decadent chocolate. Buy a box of gourmet truffles, chocolate-dipped strawberries, or linger over a hot fudge sundae.
6. Make a long list of your blessings. Thank God for each one. Thank someone you love for the blessing he or she is in your life.
7. To make the day special and memorable, take creative pictures during each of your activities, then put together a photo journal of your Valentine’s Day with God!

Let me know what you think! I’d love to hear your own creative ideas!

And have a Happy Valentine’s Day!