Pink has always been my favorite color. It is bold, fun, and loving – qualities that instantly take me back to childhood. That same playful, loving energy is what Galentine’s Day embodies. Celebrated on Feb.13, Galentine’s Day originated from the television show “Parks and Recreation.” Created by the character Leslie Knope, it is celebrated the day before Valentine’s Day, and is dedicated to “ladies celebrating ladies.” Galentine’s Day quickly became a popular celebration in pop culture and a tradition among women.
My childhood was always shared with the friends that I love. Girlhood has always been about those shared moments that make life better—whispering late at night at sleepovers, laughing until your stomach hurts, after-school playdates, and eating ice cream after a long day of playing at the pool. As we get older, I know that these moments will change, but the same feelings from our childhood and the memories we create are shared.
This is why I think Galentine’s Day is so important. In high school, life is filled with the pressure of grades, college applications, sports, and different extracurricular activities, as well as squeezing in time to be with friends outside of school. Galentine’s is a day to celebrate our friendships and to make new memories. Baking treats, going on picnics, game nights, and taking Instagram pictures are some rituals that have become part of this new tradition.
Galentine’s Day is not just a date on a calendar, it is a reminder to stop and appreciate friendships. It is a day for us to dedicate ourselves to the girls who have been there through every bad day and heartbreak. They are the ones who hype us up before a big game or listen to us rant about how much work we were given during fourth period. As we grow up, things will change. We once played hide and seek with each other and traded packed lunches our parents made for us. Now we debate about where we are driving for lunch. It can be easy to lose touch with the things that once brought us all joy. Life will get busier and more complicated, we have more responsibilities, and have to worry about what we want to do with our futures. In all of this, it can be easy to forget about the fun, silly moments shared together.
This Galentine’s Day, we should all try and go back to our childhood, when life seemed brighter. Paint each other’s nails, bake cookies with sprinkles, color with crayons, and take goofy pictures. In these fun, goofy, childlike moments, we can reconnect not only with our younger selves, but with the friendships that make our lives
better.
