Valentine

It had been a casual decision. The IV freshmen girls decided to ask the guys to have dinner together at Sushi Love on Valentine's Day. Not in a romantic sense, but as a way to appreciate and treat them. Each girl wrote a letter to one of the guys -- a note of prayers and niceties. Some were signed, others were anonymous. They were letters of thanks, of appreciation, of admiration.

What the girls didn't realize was that after they invited the guys to dinner, the guys began scheming plans of their own. As the group of nearly thirty girls and guys stopped in front of the off-campus restaurant, the guys formed a crescent formation. Two guys who had managed to smuggle along two bouquets of roses during the walk began handing out the roses to each of the guys. On cue, the guys began to serenade the girls with a rendition of Lion King's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."

When the song ended, each of the guys went up to a girl and handed her his rose. And to top it off, the guys ended up footing the entire bill, which totaled to more than 500 dollars.

When it comes to Valentine's Day, my roommates and I don't see eye-to-eye. My roommates were bitter for either of the two reasons: 1) her "beloved' did not express his care for her in the way she wanted him to, or 2) she hated being alone and single on Valentine's Day. They complained about each couple walking hand-in-hand that crossed their path. They refused to listen to any cute Valentine's Day stories that people were sharing. They bemoaned their lack of a romantic other who would shower them with love and adoration.

I listened to their bitter complaints in complete apathy. Granted, I could not judge them fairly. I have never been in a relationship. The life of a single girl is the only life I have ever known. Perhaps, because I don't know what I'm missing, I don't feel bitterness. I watch my friends' Valentine's Day videos to each other in delight. I listen to other people's Valentine stories like a sweet-tooth wolfing down candy.

I may never be kissed. I may never be the most beautiful girl in someone's eyes. I may never know it is like to love someone so much that you feel yourself filled to the brim. But this kind of love -- where the warmth of being cared for melts all over your bones -- no other Valentine's Day has ever tasted so sweet.