Raindrops on windows and sun through the curtains, warm cups of cocoa with whispers of cinnamon, books full of poems that give my soul wings: These are my favorite Saturday things.

Yes, even this Saturday, when many will be celebrating or bemoaning their varied states of couplehood.

As a kid, Valentine’s was a day I was allowed to eat chocolate and disseminate packs of cards with Barbie on them. When I grew up, it seemed to take my friends aback that my perpetually single self wasn’t bothered by annual displays promoting the overwhelming ecstasy of relationships.

Overwhelming ecstasy. Seems like the stuff fairy tales are made of. With a divorce rate of about 50% in the United States, maybe it is.

I’ve been labeled as a man-hater because I’ve skirted romance in my own life. (I prefer the term “career woman,” personally.) But even I succumb to a few wistful thoughts when beset by a couple holding hands or an announcement of impending matrimony. Especially since the latter has begun occurring with alarming frequency among my friends.

It’s easy for me to imagine how someone less resistant than I to Cupid’s arrow faces Valentine’s with weariness or even dread.

Sure, people who are in successful, committed relationships deserve a day to celebrate this Olympian feat. But you don’t have to be in a romantic relationship to love and be loved. The world would be an even sadder place than it is if you did. This Valentine’s Day, instead of being a solitary sadsack or a sarcastic single, show your friends and family how much they mean to you. Don’t forget to lavish some love on yourself by participating in some of your own favorite Saturday pastimes.

Love and self-pity both return upon the head of the giver many times more than they are given. Far too many people choose the wrong one with which to surround themselves.

In other words: Pass the chocolate. I’ve got a Barbie card over here with your name on it.