By Kate Sturgill

Staff Writer

    For some, Valentine’s Day is a greatly anticipated holiday full of love, gift-giving, and a fancy candle-lit dinner with their romantic partner. For others, the 14th is a dreaded twenty-four hours filled with a nauseating amount of roses, Pepto-Bismol Pink, and lovey-dovey couples cramming their relationship down every single person’s throat. 

    Too often, teenagers dismiss the day as a waste of a holiday and spend their February 14th annoyed at the advertisements geared towards couples. While it’s true that the societal image of Valentine’s Day is one of a couple in love, it doesn’t have to be viewed that way at all. In fact, the whole day would be way more fun if everyone used it to show love and gratitude for their loved ones, and not just in a romantic way. 

    More often than not, high schoolers do not have a special someone in their life they are romantically involved with. The constant push of having an intimate relationship in the media, retail stores, and movies can get exhausting. Instead of being sad about the romantic relationship they want, teenagers should be spending the day cherishing the platonic relationships they have. Candy, cards, or little notes are all small but meaningful gestures that convey gratitude to your friends for always being there. After all, having friends creates positive changes, both spiritual (in your soul) and physical (in your body), so they deserve to be appreciated at least once a year. 

    “In your brain, any time you’re around other humans, you’re having certain chemicals being released, like oxytocin.” AP Psychology teacher Kevin Hamilton said. “That can happen in either platonic or romantic [relationships], and there are a lot of benefits to having a place where you feel part of a group, and you can feel like, ‘I fit in here,’ and through that you can start developing your own sense of identity.”

    Hamilton also emphasizes that any kind of relationship made between teens is built based on mutual trust, and the connection made allows people to build their sense of self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-image, and overall how they feel about themselves.

    You may be wondering: What if you are one of the select few who has someone to celebrate on Valentine’s Day, but also wants to show love to their friends? R.J. Reynolds student athlete Josephine Rose has a solution! She has been dating her boyfriend, Oliver Dunn, for almost seven months now, yet she continues to keep her friends close and split time evenly between her boyfriend, girlfriends, school work, and sports. How does she achieve this impressive balancing act? It certainly is difficult, but perfectly do-able for anyone juggling the same things as Rose.

    “Usually, I am a pretty busy person, but since I do [Dancing] Boots, I always get to see my friends on game days,” Rose said. “Oliver and I typically hang out on weekends, because that’s when I’m free. Also, I see my friends during the weekdays at school, and we always have events, like birthday parties, to see each other.” 

    Even though she has a boyfriend, Rose does not forget to celebrate the girls in her life who bring her joy and self-confidence. She has a special tradition every February to make sure her best friends feel loved and appreciated.

    “I really enjoy giving my friends gifts, and little notes I write, as well as candy,” Rose said. “I’ve always done that since elementary school, and I still love doing it. It’s kind of my ‘thing.’ My friends deserve gifts of love, and I also just really love giving gifts.”

    Ultimately, Valentine’s Day should not be confined only to those in a romantic relationship, but rather be celebrated by all and serve as a reminder to appreciate the people who matter most in life, whoever that may be. By redefining the definition of love, the pressure surrounding February 14th can be reduced, making it more enjoyable for all teens.

    Rather than adhering to traditional expectations of Valentine’s Day, embrace the idea of celebrating it in ways that truly resonate with you as an individual. Love exists in so many forms, and friendships play a prominent role during the high school years. 

    In the end, Valentine’s Day does not have to be all about romance or fantastic gestures of love; it can be about appreciation of all the people in your life who make every day just a little bit brighter.