The Valentine’s Day dinner office event was a lot of pressure for this introvert. So she requested a day off from work to go get her hair done before Valentine’s Day.

Everyone in the office was shocked. It was unlike her to cut her hair, but Pendo was fed up with pleasing people, so she made her priorities more important than her squad. 

Leila decided not to go out because she had just broken up with her boyfriend two weeks before at her ruracio (traditional) wedding, and it hurt. Cooking was her thing. Leilah made her favourite recipes and ensured they came out perfect.

She then made the latest cocktail trends on social media before indulging in a slow meal all by herself. Candles lit flowers all over her body, slow, seductive music, and all that. According to her, this was her taking back her power from the one who did her wrong. His loss, she said, as she slept on the couch after a good evening on her own.

Shirleen is a geek and a workout enthusiast. In fact, her blog, “Love Your Trim,” has nearly 900,000 subscribers and is still growing. On this particular day, this flexible and fit woman will simply visit a massage therapist and spend an hour by herself. She believes this will make her feel more relaxed and ready for the workout routines she features on a popular local TV station.

Cindly is a lifestyle blogger and a fashionista of sorts. She decided a “day in the life” vlog would be ideal for today. She will meet her tailor as she awaits Valentine’s dinner. Here she will be hosting an all-women dinner, which will be a party for the celebration of womanhood. 

Not to mention, Cindy is in a long-distance relationship and won’t see her man for at least 6 months. She can’t wait to take selfies and give her nuggets of wisdom. 

Kelita is a single mother of two boys. This mother has decided that on Valentine’s Day, she is going to have a date with the twins. I know she is very nervous since this is the first time this is happening. 

It is within her dreams to raise well-balanced human beings and males who will make an impact on society in a beautiful way. This is her gift to her sons, apart from education and good home life, which Kelita tries to maintain, even as she runs her Sacco and financial literacy online courses.

Bubbly, as her name implies, is a social worker. Only in her late 20s and she just finished college. She earned a distinction for her graduate degree in sociology. The irony is that finding a man for love’s sake was not one of the trophies she received during her four years at university. 

One of her interests is empowering girls. In this sense, on Valentine’s Day, this woman ran a campaign to buy sanitary pads and pants for the girl clubs she manages in three high schools in Kenya. She decided to spread love on this romantic day. 

I don’t know about you, but I envy all these women because they choose to prioritize their needs. Some of us are on this journey of self-love and self-care; thus, I’m just going to give a few takeaways from these experiences.

It is said that this is the season when women become desperate in order to be treated properly. To put it mildly, everyone deserves good things in life. Instead of waiting for Mr Fulani to treat you right, do yourself the favor and treat yourself right.

For more than two decades, the women’s empowerment movement has done its work. It’s time to honour your forefathers and let the world know how proud you are to be a woman. 

Expressing what you want is now a natural thing. Being true to who you are will remain a lifelong stronghold. Thus, finding the motivation for why you do what you do will remain a lifelong yearning.

Growth seems to be a string in your DNA. Are you your own competition? Being at peace with your journey and trying to fly high is what keeps happening.

What about you? I pray that you find your own self-love ways for your path.