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How To Beat Valentine's Day

Because platonic love is just as real as romantic love.

By Vanessa LewisPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Love comes in many forms. Platonic, familial, romantic. We love our friends, families, and romantic partners in different ways, and it's wonderful.

So why does society think that romantic love is superior to other forms of love? Why does Valentine's Day only celebrate romantic love?

I wish I knew. I'm not in a relationship and I've never been in one, but I've never quite felt that I was missing out on anything. After all, I'm lucky to have a wonderful friends and an incredibly supportive family. They're all I need, and thanks to them, my life feels full.

So then why does society keep insisting that because I'm not in a relationship, I must be broken? Unsatisfied? Lonely?

I am none of those things. And it annoys me that society has such an overblown focus on romantic relationships, regurgitating the narrative that anyone who is not in one must be miserable and pathetic.

On Valentine's Day, these expectations are hyped up to the max, affecting everyone - regardless of relationship status. Couples must go all-out in their celebrations of love. People who aren't in a relationship must be desperate to find someone. And there's no in-between.

I find this absurd. So in a form of protest, I celebrate Valentine's Day with my friends and family. My friends and I send each other cards to commemorate how much we appreciate one another, and my family gets together for dinner, and then we put on a campy rom-com and laugh until our hearts are full.

Thanks to my friends and family, I've come to enjoy Valentine's Day. There are so many ways to experience love, and I like the idea of having a day simply meant to appreciate it in all its forms. Society may think that Valentine's Day should only celebrate romantic love, but I think that the best way to challenge this notion is by celebrating love in all its forms - platonic and familial included.

With that being said, here's my playlist of songs that best remind me of the wonder and joy of platonic and familial love:

Part 1: Platonic Love

1. I Dare You by The Regrettes

This is one of my favourite songs ever! It's so lighthearted and fun! It reminds me of the simplicity and joy there is to be found in our friendships - with our friends, we are at our happiest. We can be wild, free, loved and experience everything life has to offer.

2. Green Light by Lorde

This song makes me feel high on life. The thrills, the highs and lows, the sheer ecstasy of being present and living in the moment. It reminds me of the joys of hanging out with my friends, going on adventures and knowing that though we don't know what the future holds, we'll always be there for one another.

3. I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas

This song is perfect for dance parties with friends. It amps you up and gives you a good, warm feeling in your chest, and it brings you nostalgia as it takes you back to the good 'ol year of 2009. It's a true childhood bop.

4. Someday by The Strokes

The Strokes have a talent for making you feel, and this song is no exception. It's another one of my favourites. It makes me feel hopeful; excited for the future. I haven't seen many of my friends for nearly a year due to the pandemic, but this song reminds me that we'll reunite soon. Someday.

5. C'mon by Ke$ha

There's something magical about this song. It brings me back to summer, to the adventures I had with my friends, to those precious memories of late nights where we laughed, danced, and basked in the bliss of the what if.

Part 2: Familial Love

1. Where Is The Love by The Black Eyed Peas

This song is amazing. It came out in 2003, when the war on terror had just begun, and it was about how the world had seemingly forgotten "the love that binds us together". The world's only become more divisive since then, and this song is really great to remind us that at the end of the day, we all need to have compassion for one another. We all need to love one another, since we're all really just one big family. A family that often fights, but a family nonetheless.

2. Who Do You Love by Marianas Trench

This song makes me think of the bigger things in life. There are so many things that stress us out and make us feel down, but at the end of the day, there are so many people who we love, and who love us. This song also particularly makes me feel grateful for my family and my loved ones who have always been there for me. I really love them.

3. Counting Stars by OneRepublic

This song is cozy, yet exciting. It reminds me to have hope for the future. It also reminds me that it's good to have dreams and ambitions, because they give us the will to fight for a reality where they will come true. And with the support of my loved ones, I can do anything.

4. Hey Soul Sister by Train

This song is familiar and comforting, with indie and country vibes infused into it. It reminds me of how I feel when I'm with my family. Like I'm at home, and everything just feels right.

5. Good As Hell by Lizzo

This song is all about self-love, and I love it. It's empowering, uplifting, and cozy, inspiring us to be our best selves so that we feel, well, good as hell. I'm putting it in the familial love part of this playlist because it reminds me of how I feel with my family - supported and empowered to be my best self.

Valentine's Day has so much potential to be a great celebration of love - we just have to make sure that it includes all forms of love. Platonic, familial and self love deserve as much hype as romantic love, and the world would be better off if this were to happen. After all, every form of love is beautiful.

I hope you enjoyed my playlist, and I hope that you celebrate Valentine's Day in your own way!

If you liked this post, make sure to give it a like!

playlist
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About the Creator

Vanessa Lewis

I'm 20, Canadian, and I have a lot of thoughts. I write about pop culture, books, TV shows, and what I think about the world.

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