Although today is filled with pinks and reds, your feelings about it may be black or white: you hate it or you love it.

For a long time, I hated Valentine’s Day. One reason for this is because of my hatred for any and all things pink.

The main reason, however, is because of my own self. A lot of the media and advertising surrounding this holiday made me feel like I needed someone else on this day to make it worth celebrating. For a long time, I believed that if there was no plus one to my name, there was only one other option: boycott Valentine’s Day.

As I have gotten older, I have realized this is not true. Furthermore, I have been able to realize the significance of this day: it is essentially a national all-you-can-eat buffet of love and appreciation for the important people in your life. No significant other required.

It is the day I salute my parents, who have been my loyal valentines for the past 21 years, for their love and support in each of my endeavors—and for always sending me a package of chocolate and cozy socks in time for the holiday.

It is the time I remind my friends why the part they play in my life is so important, pushing me to become who I am and helping me get where I am today.

It is the green light I need to allow myself to enjoy the ultimate “treat yourself” moment and buy myself the jeans I have been coveting, the fancy coffee I have been craving or the face mask I have been needing.

As someone who is much older and wiser than I once was when I was an adolescent ball of angst who hated anything deemed “girly,” I can’t help but regret the bitterness I used to have toward Valentine’s Day.

This holiday is just one mark on the year’s calendar, and some of us waste it by wallowing or making fun of the people who enjoy it. Instead, we need to make it a lot less about our relationship statuses and a lot more about others—specifically the people who have always been there and always will be.

The love and appreciation we have for our families, friends and ourselves is something that deserves to be celebrated every day. I think we can all set aside the “woe is me” act we indulge in—some of us more often than we should—for one day.

Celebrate, spread and accept the love.

Still feeling bitter? Well, here’s one thing you can’t burst anyone’s bubble about: candy will be on sale Friday.

Carole Hodorowicz is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at cdhodorowicz@eiu.edu.