Miss VIP February, 2014 | Page 33

Column M E E T M A RY 20 YEAR OLD MEDIA STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM. LOVES WRITING AND CALLS HERSELF A GOODY TWO SHOES, A WINE LOVER AND A FUN GOING GAL. TEAM MEMBER AND COLUMNIST AT MISS VIP SINCE DECEMBER 2013. Valentine’s Day is coming up. I have a long history with this love-or-hate holiday, which goes back to my early years of primary school. As a child, Valentine’s Day was a day of rejection for me. Every year, when my friends all got letters and cards from their secret admirers, I would walk anxiously to my locker. Will there be something in there this year? Behind me, a classmate is gushing all over her big, pink card with glitters which she got from her boyfriend of 2 days. (In primary school, that’s like forever). I open my locker. Nothing. Again. As the day creeps forward I go to my locker at least 50 more times but besides my level of happiness, nothing changes. Disappointed and feeling stupid, I head home. Maybe next year. Of course the years after that didn’t change anything about my feelings towards Valentine’s Day. I once got a super cute e-card, but it turned out that my brother had sent it to me as a joke. Ouch. But things turned around eventually and this will be the 5th Valentine’s Day I spend with a boyfriend, so I don’t feel bad anymore when the day comes. But no one should. Valentine’s Day is the day of love – all love. So if you are ‘forever alone’ go spend this day with your best friend, your sister, your mom and dad or your cat. Celebrate the love you have and be thankful for those close to you. You never know how long you will have them around, so enjoy every second you can get. Love, Mary ■