Nothing makes my heart happier (no pun intended) than walking through the Target Valentine’s Day section.

I love browsing aisles full of pinks and reds, fun-size candies, heart-shaped lollipops, and punch-out valentines that kindergarteners will deliver during class parties. All of it makes me giddy and excited to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

I might not hand out Fun Dip to my friends on the 14th anymore, but seeing all that sugar-coated joy makes me wonder how people can hate such a happy holiday.

I think the issue is simple: As we get older, Valentine’s Day is no longer the light-hearted celebration it was in elementary school. As we become adults, the holiday is expected to become a picturesque romantic affair. There are so many presumptions about what a “Happy Valentine’s Day” is supposed to look like as a young adult. You have to spend a romantic evening with your partner (or else you’re lonely), make a sappy Instagram post (or it didn’t happen) and you have to get some fancy meal (that you can’t really afford).

Not to say that these things can’t be great, but it creates expectations that are hard to live up to. So when the 14th doesn’t fulfill your early 2000s rom-com standards, it can be disappointing.

This is the version of Valentine’s Day that people so strongly dislike. In that context, I totally understand why people think it’s such a cheesy and horrible day, but at its core, it is so much more than that. I think it is high time we re-evaluated Valentine’s Day.

Why does a day that we all used to look forward to so much have to be this big, heavy production? Screw that! We need to refocus the lens and celebrate what really matters – love.

I know that sounds redundant; people already celebrate love on Valentine’s Day! When the day arrives, no one can escape the sappy tributes to love that flood social media. Those posts are great, and I am sure that I will be adding to that onslaught, but I’m not just talking about romantic love!

Of course, romance will (and should!) be celebrated on Valentine’s Day, but it is also the reason that so many people hate the holiday. That sugar-spun version of love is amazing, but it has become the main focus – that is where we need to reconsider what the day is all about.

Love doesn’t always look like hand-holding and date nights, and it is not always bouquets and boxes of chocolate. Valentine’s Day should be a time to highlight all the love in our lives: partners and parents, family and friends.

As Feb. 14 rolls around this year, I would encourage each of us to seek out the love we too often take for granted and celebrate it. Spend some real quality time with your friends and tell your family you love them.

Valentine’s Day should not be the one day of the year that we appreciate the blessing of love, but it is the perfect day to celebrate all versions of love in our lives… and the heart-shaped candy sure doesn’t hurt!