To Whom It May Concern,

You’re pissed off at the idea of Valentine’s Day because you have no one to share it with. You rationalize your anger for this day by saying it has little merit, only deepens personal debt, and makes single people aware of their own solitude. You reminisce about a love you once had, but never fully healed from. You seek redemption in the form of another person’s favors or creating chemical imbalances whenever possible. You abuse your friends by casting doubts on their own happiness. You lose yourself in your tribulations because it’s easier than facing the truth staring at you in the mirror. You won’t give love a chance to come into your fortress because you’ve built the walls high enough that the outside can’t scare you anymore. You debase your relationships into what you can get and lower the standard of what you do get. You confuse an extended arm for a swing and a strike. You confuse attention for your vitriol for caring and attention. You make people work hard to care about you because that’s what’s been passed down to you from generations of embittered family members. You misconstrue gender roles to benefit your own impertinence. You’re so hurt. And you don’t have to be.

You are loved.

Jose, just reminding you …