Dear Ladyfriend,
This is probably going to be dripping with sap, so if you don't want to read, I'll understand. Also, I just remembered there's a whole Facebook page dedicated to this, but whatever, The Observer needs some love. OK, here we go.
There is something I have observed during my wisdom-bringing 19 (almost 20!) years of life and it is this: Girls do not value themselves enough. I'm sure guys don't either, but I'm sorry boys, this one's for the ladies.
Females don't take enough time to sit down and evaluate where they are in life (at Notre Dame, learning and having fun), how they got there (through hard work and dedication), the gifts they have (an overabundance of them) and the respect they deserve (a LOT). This lack of self-evaluation can often lead to distractions that hurt rather than help.
Valentine's Day is right around the corner and the flood of red roses, candy hearts and delicious chocolates delivered to the girl next door might remind you that you're single and might make you feel just a little unloved. Let's face it; we all want a little something special from someone special on V-Day. But don't let the thought that you haven't found "the one" get you down. There's no reason to be sad. Because guess what: you're beautiful.
And — double bonus — guess what, again! This compliment comes for free. No favors are expected in return and none should be for a statement so obvious. At the risk of sounding Taylor Swiftian, stay beautiful.
Too often for girls, the college mentality becomes "find a man, impress him, hold his attention, then lasso him in." To do this, we ladies tend to lose sight of our own value and compromise things we wouldn't normally be so loose about. That's not what college is for. It's a time of discovering who you are, where you want to go in life and how you're going to get there. And of course making sure you have fun along the way.
Boys will come and boys will go but you will always be a constant in your life, so make yourself proud. Eat, drink, be merry … but remember not to compromise the gifts you have. A man who's a man will want the same.
Moral of the story: Be happy where you are. You're beautiful, you've got plenty of time to find "the one," and if you make sure to enjoy life every step of the way, it will all work out. Call up your other single friends and have a ladies' night out to celebrate the successes you've had and anticipate the good things to come. Happy Valentine's Day to my lovely lady-friends. You're the best.
Love,
Adriana
