February the 14th

With Valentine's Day coming up, it becomes almost inevitable to become consumed by this Hallmark holiday that wants us to believe that buying chocolates and flowers for our loved ones will make them truly happy. As cheesy as this may sound, I appreciate these Holidays because it gives us all an opportunity to be in the same loving mindset. Besides, it is one of the very few days of the year where one will not be judged by others for trying to show some appreciation. Showing affection for a loved one, friends, family, a pet, etc., is extremely rewarding but I think Valentine's Day can be a good way of reminding ourselves that the rest of the year we should focus on rewarding and appreciating ourselves above all. Valentine's day is one day out of the year, and the other 364 days can really be used to pay attention to what our body is telling us we need, to what makes us truly happy and truly upset, to what inspires us, and finally, to what makes us feel at peace at the end of the day. One of the reasons I love holidays so much is because they give us an opportunity to show a side of us that we have been hiding all year. Valentine's day likes to target our sensitive side, and while for some this day might be a good way of releasing true feelings, for others it becomes dreadful because this day can really make them deal with their emotions. I say we use Valentine's day as a way of reminding ourselves that the rest of the year is about loving ourselves, so that on this day we can share that with our loved ones and not dread the day on our calendars.

By: Diana Hinojosa

Diana is the undergraduate intern at the Awakening Center. She is a drop-in support group co-leader on Tuesday nights and is a student at DePaul University with a double major in psychology and journalism.