Happy Valentines Day: the perfect holiday, one dedicated to candy, feelings, and looking cute, and it’s a holiday for celebrating who you love, whether that’s your friends, your family, or your SO. This year, we’re celebrating the fact that Love Is Fluide with our first-ever hoodie and Love is Fluide collection!

That being said, love is confusing. (Which is kind what makes it great—but we’ll get there.) Like a box of chocolates, our feelings, relationships, and partners are full of variety. And while we may know the difference acutely between a cherry and a coconut filling, our fillings, or rather, our ~feelings~ are much harder to label. But just like sexuality and gender, our feelings for others exist on a spectrum. 

Platonic feelings are the ones we have for our good friends. They’re the feelings that say, “hang out! Get them a good birthday present! Make sure you text them tonight as you watch Euphoria! Send them a snapchat of this thing you found on the street that reminds you of an inside joke!” Etcetera, etcetera. 

Romantic feelings are these, but more intense, and often with a desire for physical touch. Hang out, but let’s cuddle! Get them a birthday present that expresses how much you care. Text them tonight, and tomorrow, and the next day. Snapchat the inside joke, but maybe also a pic of you lookin’ real cute. Etcetera, etcetera. 

All of this is helpful if you’re still deciding who gets your Valentine this year. And don’t get me wrong, understanding your own feelings is a skill that takes a lifetime to master! But here’s the thing: the thought of processing a single thought form or emotion isoverwhelming considering the things we’ve had to overcome this past year. If you’re emotionally spent, you might even be thinking, “why even celebrate Valentine’s Day? What could there possibly be to celebrate?” Well hold the phone, my friend!!! 

Labeling your feelings is helpful, but often, they’re too fluid to fall into one category. Some scientists have said that we can experience just as much as we can put a name to, meaning our emotions are indefinite as long as we have something to call them. 

And here’s the kicker—when and who decided that the ONE holiday for celebrating the people you unabashedly love and care for has to just be about your partner? I have some choice words for them. And also, who decided that it couldn’t ultimately be about… you? You’re on a journey to figure out yourself. And you have some great friends that you love along for the ride. How great is that?! 

In this strange, surreal era we live in, our chosen friends and family are the ones who often make it all worth it. Especially after the year we’ve had! Celebrate the ones who’ve pulled you through. Celebrateyourself for the love and care you show yourself, even when you’re not feeling the best. This type of ebbing, flowing, fluid (ehem, Fluide) love is unconditional and always there to support you. 

Both—no, ALL—types of relationships are important, and relationships are changing as society changes. Honestly, all we can really do is surround ourselves by people we love and people who love us back. This is the closest I can come to effective relationship advice. The bottom line? 

We love you. Happy Valentine’s Day, friend. 

Love Always, 

Fluide