Happy Valentine’s Day, Readers of SuzyKnew! I hope this message finds you wrapped up in all kinds of glorious LOVE today!

I know it’s been a rough year since our last Valentine’s Day. Sadly, many romantic relationships didn’t survive COVID-19, the subsequent lockdowns, the tanking economy, or even the crazy-ass election cycle. If your romantic relationship was a casualty of 2021 and you haven’t had any luck finding new love in the Time of Corona, you’re certainly not alone. I did a really quick Google search about the impact of the pandemic on romantic relationships in all I can say is “WOW”! Weddings are down, divorce filings are up, and everywhere you look, people claim to be lonelier than ever.

So, if you’re “alone” (as in, you aren’t in a romantic relationship of any kind), well … you’re literally not alone.

Even though the romance landscape is bleaker than usual this Valentine’s Day, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate love! Whether you’re romantically linked or not, I guarantee you’ve got love in your life to celebrate today. You’ve got platonic love, friendship love, and familial love. And let’s not forget the most important love of all: self-love!

(Before you lecture me, I already know that God’s love is first and foremost. But we celebrate that every day, right? Especially as we approach the Lenten season, right? So we’re good, right? Kthanx!)

Now more than ever, we need to appreciate and celebrate EVERYONE we love. If this pandemic has taught us nothing else, it’s shown us the fragility of life. None of us are promised tomorrow, so we’d better live for today. And that means we need to love up on everyone in our lives as hard as we possibly can!

So join me in celebrating ALL the love in our lives, today. Hop on a quick Zoom call with your family and love on them boldly. Reach out to your friends and have actual conversations with them instead of texting. Make time to tell the people in your life that you love them, and that they’re important to you. Now’s not the time to be coy or hold back. Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to get sappy with it. So go ahead and lay it on thick. Trust me, no one ever regrets showing their friends and family too much love.

You may find yourself “Single AF” this Valentine’s Day, but I know you have some big love in your life to celebrate. So stop moping about the sad state of your love life because again, you’re not alone. Stop stalking your ex’s social media, turn off that Hallmark Movie that only makes you feel lonely, pick up the phone and start speaking love to all those wonderful people in your life.

And of course, make sure you show yourself some love today, too. Pamper yourself. Treat yourself. Be extra kind and generous with yourself. After all, no one should show you more love than you show yourself … even on Valentine’s Day!

Have a Safe and Happy Valentine’s Day!