I always love Valentine’s Day. Not just because of the chocolates, roses and stuffed animals, but because it’s one of the few days of the year when you’re expected to be corny and cheesy. While I often spend the holiday without a partner, I still take it as a chance to buy my mom flowers, give candy to my best friend or make a silly card with some inside jokes.

In Spanish, Valentine’s Day is dubbed “El Dia del Amor y la Amistad,” which translates to “the day of love and friendship.” The day is a lot more than just a celebration with your romantic partner. Many of us gave out Valentine’s Day cards in elementary school to all of our classmates, along with a piece of candy. This holiday should continue to be for all our friends, family and peers, even in adulthood, because all types of love deserve to be celebrated.

I miss coming home from school with a backpack full of candy. I would sit down at the kitchen table with a small heart-shaped box of chocolates and a tiny, chocolate-scented teddy bear. My mom would kiss my forehead, followed by a “happy Valentine’s Day” and I would reciprocate by gifting her a handmade card followed by baking some cupcakes for my family. I love having a day where all I do is remind and get reminded by the people in my life how much we care for each other.

My relationships with my friends and family are equally important as one with a life-long partner. These people have laughed and cried with me, and they’ve been there for almost every milestone in my life. My friendships are indispensable to me and my life. One of my friends paints our celebrity or fictional crush onto Valentine’s Day cards while another always remembers my favorite Mexican candy. It’s small things like these that make me feel giddy, almost like a partner would.

My bedroom is filled with every Valentine’s card and teddy bear I’ve received. And while I am fortunate enough to have very loving and expressive family and friends, this holiday is also a perfect moment to pamper yourself. 

Valentine’s Day is one of the only times during the year when I remember to buy myself flowers or stuffed animals and chocolates since I would usually never buy them for myself. In the past, I’ve used Valentine’s Day as a day to focus on myself, by taking a long, soothing shower and spending my day watching movies or reading to give myself a self-care day.

It’s easy to feel down at the sight of happy partners spending time together on Valentine’s Day, but in doing so, we forget about the people in our lives who already care for us.

Sure, it may be corny to receive a forehead kiss from your mom or silly to receive a drawing from one of your friends, but they are all little gestures and reminders that you are loved. We often forget about ourselves and how we also deserve to show ourselves some love and care.

While I usually spend my Valentine’s Day single, I never truly feel lonely. Most years I don’t have a boyfriend gifting me a giant stuffed animal, but I still have so much love for everyone else in my life.

One day a year, we are expected to be affectionate, sentimental and sappy to all the people we have deep connections with, to all the people who care and love us. And in return, they remind us we are cared for and appreciated. It’s about all the people who fill your life with love and color. The ones who make our life on Earth a little more meaningful, a little more enjoyable. It’s their holiday too.

Andrea Mendoza-Melchor, a sophomore majoring in journalism and mass communication, is an opinions writer.