For all the singles out there, Boundless.org shares the The Secret to a Great Valentine’s Day.

It’s an encouraging read, reminding us (those without a special someone) :

This is a day for giving to others, even if you don’t have a boyfriend/[girlfriend]

Don’t waste the holiday feeling down, depressed because yet another year has gone by and you’re still single. Instead, give thanks for the love you do have in your life, the love of family and friends. Show them that you appreciate their love, that you love them as well.

I don’t know why it took me so long to figure this out. There are plenty of scriptures that make it clear, including the all-time classic: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap” (Luke 6:38). I guess reading about loving and “doing unto others as I would have them do unto me” was easier to understand than it was to put into practice.

Don’t call Valentine’s Day the saddest day of the year, but instead, remember what it represents - love - and give thanks for the wonderful people God has placed in your life.

I’m still learning how to keep the focus on others and I love the annual reminder every February 14. Only now, I don’t call it Black Death Day. I call it Thanksgiving.