Valentine's Day for Singles

Together with the whole world, I was also affected by the Valentine craze. It started on the Sunday of the week of Valentine's Day when I started making cookie dough. I made two batches of cut-out cookies in heart, teddy bear and butterfly shapes. It was a hectic week in school so I decided to split the jobs of making the dough, baking and icing the cookies into four days (the last bit of icing was done on the night of the 14th - I gave the cookies the next day to my high school BFFs).

If Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said that the 14th may be viewed by people in three ways - Vday for people in a relationship, Single Awareness Day for those who are single, and for people who couldn't care less, it's just Thursday - I decided to add one more option: Make as many People Smile Day.

Being single, it may be expected that I spend the day sulking and asking my self why is it that I'm spending the day for couples without a partner AGAIN! But I think this isn't proper. Instead of having a boyfriend as my valentine, I decided to have lots of people as valentines.

I started with my college friends. I packaged a teddy bear cookie and a butterfly cookie in cute little packets and gave each person a bag. I was supposed to give some of my other friends cookies, but we didn't have a chance to meet up. So I got into the car with three bags remaining. One was for the old lady who sells sapmaguita leis we always pass by the bridge on the way home, the others were just extra. But when my sister and I made a detour to buy a cake for my mom (it was her birthday), we passed by a lady by the street selling dried fish and squid. She looked really tired being under the scorching sun for who knows how long, so I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to give one of the extra cookies to her. When we got to the mall, I gave the last cookie to the elevator lady who my family already consider as a friend. The cute drawings on the cookies made my friends and both strangers smile like little kids who woke up on Christmas Day with gifts from Santa in their stockings, and this was more than enough to make nights of mixing, kneading, rolling, cutting and icing worthwhile

The next day, I went on a date with my high school friends and gave them the remaining cookies I had at home. We only get to see each other every few months since we entered college, so we treasure moment we get to spend with each other. I spent my post-Valentine date with three people who are very close to my heart, which I think is what's important. We talked, laughed and ate like it was the end of the world. When I got home, I too slept with a smile on my face. This, I think, is the best way to end my Valentine Day experience.

J<3