By Danielle Smith

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At this time of year, love is in the air, along with the fresh smell of flowers, the sweetness of chocolate and the bitterness from all the single people on this particular day. It’s Valentine’s Day, the day where love and hate go hand in hand just like nearly every couple on such a date. A day where those such couples want nothing but to showcase their undying love for one another in ways that sale prices make it easy, all the while using their force field of affection to block out all of the glares and grunts that come with it.

It’s almost as if, on this day only, you can get a free distasteful insult with every flower and stuffed bear you buy. People call it single awareness day. They call it the day that makes every person without a significant other pure torture. They call it the day of mushiness and make-out sessions. Whatever they call—whoever “they” is— Valentines is nothing but a word to dread. Who cares about other people trying to be happy with one another and what’s it matter that someone goes out of their way to do something special for their someone special. Oh right, hello, I forgot that some of us don’t like seeing other people be happy with each other.

When I imagine Valentines, I imagine things only described as cute. Flowers and teddy bears, posters and gifts. I think of kids drawing with pink crayons sloppy “I love you’s” on white construction paper, excited to give it to their moms to show how much they love them and I smile to myself thinking of all the doey eyes and the over excessive use of the words “Aw” and “Oh my gosh”. But of course there is also the over used phrases, such as “Ew, I hate seeing couples” and “All the love is disgusting.” Then the all time favorite of, “I hate Valentines.” We know. You say it every year. But maybe, and this is just suggestion, but maybe you don’t hate it so much and you can just move on with your life.

It’s at this point that many of you may have found a solution to this oh so annoying problem of seeing people being happy. Valentine’s is on Sunday. Don’t wanna see it? Don’t roll out of bed. But for those other few, those who love Valentines because it’s about love, wake up early and send those happy valentines texts, prepare your gifts and arrange your chocolates and call your friends to confirm the surprise plan for your significant other or just be happy that other people are happy.

Enjoy your Valentines this year like there is not someone saying the same negative jokes as they did last year. And if you are one of those people? Find a joke that’s not off the internet.