By: Christina Harrison

I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying there is one holiday that you either adore or despise. You know what I’m talking about, y’all, it’s that baby in a diaper with an archery set shooting arrows in any direction.  

It’s Valentine’s Day! The most loving, and sickening, day of the year.  

The cliches of receiving flowers, a gooey box of chocolates, a night out at a luxury hotel, or a restaurant are all part of a typical Valentine’s Day. You know what’s not supposed to be a part of it?  Getting broken up with.  But let’s face it, it happens all the time. 

I haven’t lost all hope in love yet but this “love-stinks” generation is heavily lacking in the romance department. I think the main problem is expectations. There is so much pressure for the perfect fairytale ending and “happily ever after” bull crap that you don’t know what to do when it all comes crumbling down (you know, just like your friends and parents predicted it would).  

The question is when is the appropriate time to break up with someone when Valentine’s Day is right around the corner? They told you they don’t love you anymore or that there was someone else. Maybe they even told you that they wanted to wait to break up until after Valentine’s Day, but figured in the end, it was just a day, so why not just get it over with?  

There is no real answer, your heart will be shattered no matter what day it is.  

The thing about fairytales is that they’re just that: magical tales that aren’t real. But, as humans, we like to have things go our way.  If the opportunity presents itself,  why would we settle for anything less than “and they all lived happily ever after?  

But people lose interest or maybe your heart gets caught in the crossfire when your “baby” has found someone else. Within five minutes, you go from being madly in love to something resembling, what?  Hate?  No.  Probably stalky obsession before coming back to your senses and merely becoming distant strangers. 

If you’re in a relationship you no longer want on Valentine’s Day you can make one of two choices:  You can either bang your head against the wall, suck it up, and hang in there.  Or you can embrace being the villain in this scenario and ruin the holiday forever for your former boo.  

Alright, that was a little aggressive, but navigating love at this age ain’t easy. Our generation has to be the least romantic of them all.  

But, if the worst comes to pass and you find yourself without that special someone on the big day, don’t worry, you’re not alone.