Contrary to the modern-day pessimists, I don’t hate Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is a time for two people in a relationship to take a step back from their hectic, busy lifestyles and spend a day together to celebrate a mutual love.

Again, I’m all for Valentine’s Day—the flowers, the candy, the unnecessary presents, the dinner, the date and everything leading up to it. But the reason so many people, especially college students, aren’t fans of Valentine’s Day is the lack of equal presents in the day of love.

Person A ends up getting Person B a thoughtful gift, yet Person B doesn’t find the gift being what they wanted. Or, Person A doesn’t want a big Valentine’s Day, but when Person B doesn’t do much for Person A on Valentine’s Day, they are deemed as the bad, thoughtless individual.

Then on the single side, individuals simply give up way too quickly to appreciate Valentine’s Day when it comes around with no hopes or expectations, thus feeling miserable or resentful toward the day.

It sounds like a holiday full of high expectations, but a low turnout. Or, it can be deemed as a holiday that is easily dismissed by single and salty people.

Stop adding the unnecessary pressure on yourself. Rather, focus on an equal presence on Valentine’s Day. The anxieties brought up by self-insecurity of how your significant other may or may not take their gift is completely pointless. A true relationship tosses out all the useless gifts and focuses on each other.

How can someone hate Valentine’s Day when the collegiate part of their lives is so small and being single or in a lousy relationship in your 20s isn’t the worst thing on the planet?  I can answer that: no one should. In the future, when two people are in their 40s and hopefully married, they aren’t going to remember the bad Valentine’s Days that they once had. 

At the end of the day, I’m satisfied. Back home I have an entire family who loves me unconditionally. And, to top it off, I have friends who will do anything for me. That’s what I take into account on Valentine’s Day.

Even if you’re at home on Valentine’s Day eating a tub of ice cream and watching Jim and Pam from “The Office” while crying your eyes out, please know that not all these Valentine’s Days will be alone.