AT THIS time, stores are overflowing with love-shaped boxes of chocolates, roses and teddy bears. Red and white clothing and packaging are everywhere. Valentine’s Day, for some, is a day of exchanging gifts and cards, and expressing tender sentiments from the deepest recesses of the soul. The stores are decorated with attractive candy hearts, beautiful flowers, and cuddly teddy bears; and the magic of love creates a special feeling that seems to pervade everywhere.
Whoever thinks of the single person then? Well, I do, having spent more than one Valentine’s Day as a single person, and experiencing the sadness and revulsion that so many singles feel at this time.
Because of the way fragrance and jewellery advertisers, in particular, have succeeded in portraying this day, Valentine’s Day can torment a single person with feelings of loneliness, pity and self-doubt.
So how can a solo act possibly be expected to enjoy Valentine’s Day when there’s no one to tell “I love you”? Well, some research and consultation with a few wise people I know show that, while for the solo act Valentine’s Day might not be all hearts and flowers, even a solo act can spread the message of Valentine’s Day: LOVE.

Here are some ways to have a happy Valentine’s Day as a single person:

1. Send a heartfelt Valentine’s card to someone who has really inspired you, telling them how much they mean to you.

2. Make a homemade Valentine’s card and send it to a favourite relative you haven’t seen in a while.

3. Send flowers or candy to someone who doesn’t have a sweetheart, and sign it “anonymous”.

4. Make a “Valentine’s basket” and send it to a family that has gone through a difficult time; and sign it “From Your Guardian Angel”.

5. Take your little niece, nephew, or cousin out for ice cream.
Anything coming from the heart will surely be touching and appreciated. It makes two gifts in one: the first is for the recipient, and the second, an even bigger gift, is for the sender.