When I was studying in Costa Rica last spring, I learned that Valentine’s Day is in many places viewed as a day to celebrate friendships rather than just romantic relationships. Last year, our host dad bought the three of us who were living in the house cute presents, and my Spanish teacher gave us all candy. While I am still totally excited to hang out with my boyfriend tonight and see what he made me for dinner, I’ve tried to also focus this year on showing the other people who I love how special they are to me.
In the Spanish house, we’ve been embracing the idea of Valentine’s Day as a holiday for friends by all hanging little paper bags on our doors. Each of us bought candy and secretly roams the house when no one seems to be around, delivering little chocolate bars to each person. It has been such a nice surprise this week to find a little treat in my bag every time I enter my room and to see how excited my housemates get when they find what I’ve given them.
Additionally, the Writing Center hosted an event today outside of our cafeteria to get everyone excited about Valentine’s Day. Armed with Hershey’s Kisses, themed mad-libs, and robot Valentine’s cards, we helped passersby to craft cute cards for friends and significant others. While some people grabbed the premade Valentines as they were rushing to class, others stayed and chatted with us. We helped them write corny pick-up lines and fill in fun mad-libs to give to someone later.
Sharing today with not only my man but also my housemates, coworkers and friends has made me feel so grateful for everyone in my life. If you haven’t already today, reach out to someone you love and tell them that they rule!
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