Love comes in many different forms. This Valentine’s Day, it is important to recognize all the people you love, not just your significant other. The platonic love you feel for your friends is just as beautiful as the love you feel for your partner or your family.
Platonic Love
Holding your place in line, walking with you to class, and laughing at your jokes is a type of love quickly taken for granted. In a time when it isn’t uncommon to hear, “I can’t hang out, I’m with my partner,” people often push aside their friendships. How can we stop ourselves from being swept up in the excitement of romance?
“I think a lot of people see it as inherently lesser, which is not right,” sophomore history major Kerrigan Tatum said. “People like to see romantic love with a sort of exclusivity that it doesn’t necessarily have, and people can’t really apply that to platonic love the same way. They can’t get obsessed over the idea of someone being just theirs.”
Self-Love
The one relationship more important than any other is the one you have with yourself.
What do you do when you’re sad? Whether you’re married or single, this Valentine’s Day, do something good for yourself.
“What I’ve done is separated one corner of my bed as the ‘self-love’ corner,” freshman pre-nursing major Rajshree KC said. “There, I have pasted many photos of me as a child, and my mother carrying me when I was a baby. Whenever I feel bad, I always look at those pictures, and I ask myself, ‘You are that small girl, why are you feeling bad?’”
Sibling Love
Siblings can be annoying but can also be your best friends, fighting one minute and friendly the next. Whether you’re the eldest, youngest, or somewhere in between, you can’t ignore the importance of building memories with your siblings.
“I like giving him experiences with his older brother; it just helps people,” freshman criminal justice major Ethan Reese said. “Especially him, growing up with no father, I want to be a good figure for him.”
Familial Love
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Think about the love you feel for the people you come home to, but also how they show their love to you. Not all family members are human; our pets also show us love and help us through our day.
“My favorite memory with [my dog] is when I rescued her off the streets,” freshman business major Allison Setliffe said. “I saved her from being abused. She used to flinch every time you touched her, but now she’s happy. I love her; I like to have someone to care about.”
