Social Encore: The meaning behind Valentine’s Day

The day for hopeless romantics to bust out the chocolate candies, flowers and oversized teddy bears is just around the corner.

My single girls and I love to describe Valentine’s Day as “Single Awareness Day.” For the past several years — whether we were dating someone or single — we would all get together to show our appreciation for each other. We would reminisce about romantic gestures done for us and also laugh about guys we dated in the past.

While I have never been the type to be big on celebrating Valentine’s Day, many people have different perspectives. So I set out to discover what Valentine’s Day means to a few Honolulu residents.

Sure, I’ve worn pink or red on occasion, but sometimes I feel like it is another scheme corporate America has conjured up to help stimulate our economy after Christmas. Instead, I believe the holiday should help us all remember the meaning and feeling of love.

Many of us are often caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and we tend to forget about what really matters. However, we should not rely on a holiday to show the ones that matter the most to us how much we love them.

I’ve always thought of Feb. 14 as “Appreciation of Love Day.” The reason why is because it makes you think about all the crazy things you have done for love. We should appreciate the love that surrounds us; we should share the love that lies within us and we should treasure the love that is given to us. The hearts I have broken in the past taught me to never settle for less and always go for what you want in life. The people who broke my heart taught me how to mend one.

Most importantly, Valentine’s Day should be a day where we are grateful for the people who taught us how to love.

To all of my friends who have a Valentine this year, may that love grow more each day. For all of my friends who are single, may you never forget to always love yourself first and may the love you’ve been waiting so patiently for find you.
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Jermel-Lynn Quillopo is a multi-faceted, energetic individual with experience in both print and broadcast journalism. “Social Encore” aims to tell diverse stories about Hawaii’s food, events and people; share your tips with Jermel via email or follow her on Twitter.