Valentines and Other Heartwarming Things

Whether finding the day a commercialized excuse to sell greeting cards and chocolate or finding it a reminder of bitter loneliness, many find Valentine's Day an overrated holiday. Personally, I'm in the camp of the saps whose insides squirm like a jellyfish when surrounded by hearts and teddy bears.
Though I recently ended a relationship and spent the evening alone, I found plenty of reasons to feel the love, so to speak. And so, in honor of those who may wish to celebrate Valentine's Day without the company of another, here are a few things to love loving.

1. Watch some shoujo. Whether its saccharine sweet shows like Card Captor Sakura, or edgy rock-n-roll themed Nana, curl up and remind yourself that love - in it's innocence, it's control, it's pandemonium - is chaotically awesome.

2. Watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's impossible to watch the show in all it's butt-kicking glory and not get drawn into the personal relationships that form and fail throughout the series. A dreamy vampire with a soul? A teenage werewolf who plays bass? Witches and demons and ghosts, all tangled together, screwing up or obsessing with all the drama of young love. And if you're not into the mushy stuff, you can always watch Buffy literally stab Angel through the heart in a major metaphor for heartbreak.

3. Spoil yourself like a princess. Get a manicure, give yourself a facial or buy something frivolous, like a killer pair of heels or a leather jacket. Or for the manlier folks - score tickets to a show or sporting event that you'd never normally buy for yourself. Remind yourself that loving your own life is just as awesome as loving someone else.

4. Curl up with a good book. Modern urban fantasy can really draw you in while keeping your adrenaline pumping, while Gothic classics like Wuthering Heights can remind you that love can be scary and haunting. Getting drawn into a world full of someone else's fictional problems can help you sort out your own.

5. Try something new. You don't have to go skydiving to get a thrill out of life. Trying something more down to earth (in the less literal sense), like dance lessons or kick boxing, or learning to make your own sushi, can remind you that the world is full of new and wild experiences. Like the rush of falling for someone, you can get a kick out of everyday life if you're willing to explore.

So there you have it. Five great ways to avoid V-Day dread and to celebrate love in a totally different way. Love yourself, love your life, and the rest will sort itself out.