Friday, January 31, 2014

My Funny Valentine

The first of February is tomorrow, and only one thing comes to mind when February is here... Valentine's Day!

I personally love Valentine's Day. It's the perfect day to show your loved ones how much you care and appreciate them. And that's what Valentine's Day is all about. It doesn't matter if you have a date to go out with and have the most cliche Valentine's Day ever. The expensive foods, the romantic movies, the chocolates and flowers--you don't need to receive those in order to have a beautiful Valentine's Day (though let me tell you, buy me flowers and I'll be yours). 

I've only had two valentines and to be completely honest, both nights were terrible. But every year, for as long as I could remember, I'd wake up on Valentine's Day, run straight to the kitchen, and my mother would have set out a stuffed animal and chocolates for each of us at the kitchen table. This year I live with my dad, and when I asked him what he was doing for us on Valentine's Day he said, "Parents don't give their kids stuff on Valentine's Day! That's for couples." But he agreed to continue the tradition for my sake.

But see, Valentine's Day isn't only for couples and it is NOT a Hallmark holiday. To think of it as the latter is really pessimistic and can easily bring other people down. But Valentine's Day is the day to spread love and joy to everyone around you and show your loved ones especially how much you appreciate them. What I personally love to do every year is sing love songs all day long. It annoys everyone else, but it makes me really happy and optimistic. Buying flowers for your friends is always thoughtful and definitely appreciated, but if you don't have the money, picking flowers (even at this time of the year) is just as thoughtful. Watching a cute romantic comedy with the family is always fun, and it's great to end the night with baked goods for them. 

Just remember this year that Valentine's Day really isn't only for couples. It's not about who's there to love you for this one time of the year, but the ones who have loved you for years and who will always be by your side. That's what it's all about, and that is what's most important.

Here's some funny Valentine's Day cards that should hopefully crack a smile.

tumblr valentine's day card macklemore

tumblr valentine's day card honey boo boo

tumblr valentine's day card corbin bleu

Thursday, January 16, 2014

You've Got a Friend in Me

From what I've experienced lately, finding out that someone you have cared dearly for and appreciated has actually pretended to be your friend is overwhelmingly disheartening. Especially in high school, friendships are a crucial part of life; they're what help you get through your troubles when you have no one to turn to and you just can't go to your family for. But they're not forever, and that's a fact.

On New Years' Eve, I found out that one of my closest friends of three years and also my neighbor only considers us "friends because we're neighbors." When I heard that, I was absolutely shocked. Someone who I had cared for dearly, someone who I had spent time with constantly, someone who I had appreciated and a friendship that I put so much effort into because I adored her; it all meant absolutely nothing to her. Surprisingly, though, I wasn't really upset. I just felt betrayed and embarrassed because she completely fooled me into believing she was a good friend.

Ever since, I've been happier. Weird, right? But I've been happy because it helped me realize who my true friends are and that not everyone deserves my unconditional love, care, and appreciation like I originally thought. Truthfully, it's hard to find someone and be able to have the chance of being friends with them for so long. Let's face it, life isn't all that short, it's long as all get out. 

One person you will always have no matter what--and no, it's not your mother--is yourself. You will always be your own best friend because you know how to make yourself happy when you're down and you know what's best for you, despite what people like to believe. Sometimes, even telling stories to yourself in the mirror is a totally reasonable way to vent out your emotions; you can't embarrass yourself in front of yourself and you can't be weirded out and choose not to hang out with yourself anymore.

I know this sounds crazy, but it's completely true. It's just always good to understand that when you feel like the whole world is against you and you have no one to turn to--you always have yourself. And eventually, those beautiful, ever-lasting friendships will develop and you'll be happier than ever. Just make sure that you're not wasting your precious energy, love, effort, and time to those who don't deserve someone as beautiful and wonderful as you are.