Every 14th day of February, people flock to different flower shops, gift shops, restaurants, and the like to celebrate love. On that specific day, we get to witness how love is manifested in a tangible way through flowers, gifts, and food. But is it really mandatory to celebrate love every 14th of February? Well, my answer is, it is definitely up to you.

For years, I have celebrated Valentine's Day with my family since it has been years since I last had a relationship. But even if I was still in a relationship, I always prefer to have a date with my parents because I believe the idea of Valentine's Day transcends beyond the norms of society. We do not always need to conform to the norms of society where Valentine's is a celebration between romantic partners. It is also not mandatory and it depends on the individual's perspective.

However, prior to having this perspective of celebrating Valentine's Day, I have always thought of it as a mandatory celebration. Back when I had a relationship last 2020, I almost bursted into tears in the mall since I did not receive any special gift such as flowers. My then boyfriend gifted me a cup of milktea since he was not really into celebrating it. I guess we just had different views about celebrating love. Maybe it was because I was used to celebrating it with my first boyfriend back in high school. Looking back, I realized that we should not pressure our loved ones about celebrating it the way we want to but also we must not keep the hurt or pain to ourselves. It is important to have a healthy conversation about it so that you could meet halfway.

Going back to what I said earlier, Valentine's Day is not just a celebration for those who have romantic relationships for you could also spend it with your families and other loved ones. The diversity of our experiences, thoughts, and feelings has shaped how we view Valentine's Day. Some people may have been celebrating Valentine's Day ever since they were young and so they were accustomed to the celebration and some just prefer to skip it because they view it as a mundane day.

But whatever your perspective may be, I hope you get to choose love everyday. Love is not just about being affectionate to others but love is about being kind to yourself. Love is about self-forgiveness and allowing yourself to grow through life's adversities. Do not forget to love yourself. As what I always tell my loved ones, self-love isn't narcissistic. Self-love is mandatory, Valentine's Day is not. Love should not just be celebrated once a year, it should be celebrated on a daily basis.

My parents and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day, a day before the actual holiday because we already anticipated that people would flock malls and restaurants and we try our best to avoid crowded places. It was one of the best decisions ever. We had dinner at Sambal which is restaurant that specializes in Southeast Asian cuisine like Singaporean, Thai, Indonesian, and Filipino dishes. And I was craving for Pad Thai so I chose this restaurant. Prior to dinner, I also bought some donuts for dessert.

On the day of Valentine's, I thought it was going to be an ordinary day, but thankfully my neighbors invited me to a dinner on their terrace and we shared some conversations coupled with some laughter in between. It was such a blissful day and I would not want to celebrate it any other way. I am just grateful that I am loved and surrounded by the right people and that is all that matters in life.