Have you lost your love and find yourself alone?
You are still a lover. You can celebrate happily on the Day for Lovers. Try reaching out and spending the day with others or by yourself, surrounded with the love you feel in ways that bring you personal joy.
Everyone you know is excited. They talk about how they will spend the evening with their partners in a cozy corner at their favorite restaurant or at home for a candle light dinner, then cuddling before a blazing fire.
They have no idea how you are hurting. But, you can brush aside that pain and also experience the excitement of celebrating. Arranging how you will spend the holiday can be as much fun as the adventure. Don’t wait! Plan as soon as you can. Here are some extended ways you can celebrate Valentine’s Day when you are alone:
- Ready for someone new or just want to mingle with others who are alone? Check your travel agent or the Internet for one of the many weekend or longer singles cruises. You may even encounter a possible significant other!
- Register for a day or week at a spa, have a complete makeover and enjoy the rewards of relaxation, rejuvenation and meditation.
- Go on a tour by yourself to an exotic place you have always wanted to visit. It can be as close as a nearby resort or as far as Dubai.
If you don’t have the wherewithal or the time for a lengthy get away, here are some additional ways you can enjoy your day:
- Make a list of those who have helped you in the past … a pastor ,a nurse, a fellow worker, a neighbor, a relative … send them a thank you Valentine.
- Visit an animal rescue kennel! You will fall in love with a cute little dog or cat. Adopt a pet and experience unconditional love.
- Invite a few single friends, both men and women, to a party at your home. Be creative! Have a theme, rent a DVD or play old-fashioned parlor games and, of course, serve drinks and great food.
- Go out on the town by yourself (or invite a friend to join you). Splurge! Hire a cab or a limousine to drive you to an expensive dining spot and then to a venue you usually don’t take time for … a concert, the theatre, the ballet, or a movie.
- Share your love. Make some Valentines, take and give them to children at a cancer center or to patients at a hospice. Watch the joy! Listen to the laughter!
- Indulge in a gourmet dinner out, then go home, put on your pajamas and robe, pour yourself a glass of wine, fill a bowl with potato chips and relax in your most comfortable chair in front of your TV and watch an adventure film.
There are people out there like you, who find themselves alone, and want to meet others. There are places where you can meet. Try a new church, local singles organizations, health and wellness centers, dance schools, YM and YWCA’s. Venture out and connect with those who are looking for you. Valentine’s Day is a good time to begin to explore and welcome love back into your life!
By Victoria D. Schmidt
Victoria D. Schmidt has had a long and illustrious career including being a fashion editor at Woman’s Day Magazine in New York City, and serving as the Director of Tourism for the State of New Jersey where she is credited with the most successful New Jersey tourism campaign: New Jersey & You Perfect Together. After losing her husband to Parkinson’s disease, Schmidt wrote Finding Solitary Contentment: Ways to Handle Grief and Embrace a New Life and Remembering the Loved One You Lost. She is also the author of Triumph in Exile and today lives in Oldwick, New Jersey with her gentle whippet, Dominique. For more information, please visit: http://www.victoriadschmidt.com
Photo by Chandan Chaurasia