While you may not have received a love letter this Valentine’s, here’s one for you
Dear Reader,
If you’re like me, you’re still probably reeling from the aftermath of Valentine’s. Let’s face it: February 14 is a not-so-special day for single people. As a NBSB (no boyfriend since birth) and hopeless romantic, it sucks to be single during your more than 20 years on earth. And if you opened this letter, you can probably relate to me, too.
@pattiagalicia Yun na nga! #fyp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ original sound – music.fy
As a kid, I always longed for the type of love that I saw in books, movies and TV shows—the kind of romance that sweeps you off your feet. As I grew up, however, my dream of having my own Prince Charming diminished. But as much as I like saying I’m a strong and independent woman, it can be quite lonesome seeing my friends go on dates, posting cute photos of their special someone and even getting married. Meanwhile, here I am, still getting kilig over fictional characters and K-pop men who I’ll never get a chance to be with.
To be honest, there’s still a part of me that actually wants to fall in love and be loved. While I’ve become more realistic in terms of my love life and romantic prospects, I haven’t really lost hope—and you shouldn’t as well. I know I have a lot more love to give, so here I am, pouring all my love into this piece. While you may not have received a love letter this Valentine’s as part of the singles club, this one’s for you.
You are enough
@curtnathan14 You are more than enough <3 #thoughts #realizations #curtcruz14 ♬ original sound – Alec Cuenca | Self-Help – Kuya Alec
You’ve most probably been asked “Bakit single ka pa rin (Why are you still single)?” at least once in your life. If these words triggered even more questions in your head, I feel you. You've probably asked yourself: “Am I not enough?,” “Am I not likeable or loveable?” and “What am I lacking?” Unfortunately, part and parcel of singleness is the feeling of inadequacy. We’ve long been conditioned to think that we need a significant other in order to be whole. But it’s time to do away with that. It’s time for you to realize you’re already complete on your own. You didn’t need a special someone to survive your years in this world. You did that yourself—and that in itself is a major feat. So say it with me: “I am enough, and I am beautiful—just the way I am.”
You deserve to be loved
Whether it’s platonic or romantic, you deserve all the love the world has to offer. Most of all, you deserve to be loved by you so that you can fully accept the love of others. You may be broken and flawed, but all of us are. We love imperfectly and learn to love despite imperfections, and that’s beautiful. So don’t lose hope. Don’t try to be someone you’re not just to fit other people’s standards. There are so many human beings in the universe who love you for who you are and even more people who will. It may not be your time for romance yet or it may not be for you at all—and that’s okay. If you like someone though, this is your sign to go for it! Love loudly and live a life of no regrets. Either way, you are worthy of love and I hope you won’t ever forget that.
There’s so much more to life than romance
It’s soon Valentine’s Day which means a bunch of single people will wallow in self pity for a day.
Here’s a protip; treat yourself, buy some chocolate and give yourself some love. There’s so much more to life than romantic/sexual relationships.
— Luna // nullptr::live (@LunaFoxgirlVT) February 11, 2024
Why do we rush so much, including our love life? We all have our own timelines. With the billions of people in this world, there may be someone out there for you. But there’s also no shame in not wanting a partner as your happily ever after doesn't require a prince, princess or anyone in between. Dating and having a significant other isn’t everything, after all. It can be beautiful and heart-fluttering, but it can drain your money, time and emotions, too, especially when it’s forced. So take this time to do everything you want to do and be who you want to be. In the process, keep your heart open to love and trust in the universe’s timing. This is what works best for a hopeless romantic like me and it might work for you, too.
At the end of the day, being single is not really a bad thing—all it takes is a change in perspective. But if someone does come, I do hope you keep your heart open to receiving the love you deserve! Whatever happens, I hope you’ll always remember that you’re already complete, beautiful and well-loved as you are. Plus there’s more to the world out there so here’s to exploring, living the life we want and working on being the best we can be. I wish you the best and I’m rooting for you, dear reader!
All my love,
MJ.
Words MJ Viernes
Art Macky Arquilla
