March 8th is International Women's Day.  To celebrate, here are eight inspiring women on television that make us blast Destiny Child’s “Independent Women.”

1. April Carver
From the moment her uncle uttered the word Cancer, April’s been Sara Bareilles’ “Brave” and Kelly Clarkson's “Stronger.”  Even without her cancer diagnose, April would have made this list.  When we met her, she talked her way into a blood drive to get the story.  "A little setback" like cancer    has not stopped April. It’s refreshing to watch a young woman focus unapologetically on her career.   We might be drawing Leo and April forever on our notebooks, but the line we really cheer for is her byline.

2. Jane Rodriguez
I already wrote about how I think we all should be #JustLikeJane.   In tennis, people always say you play better against a better player.  Somehow your play just rises to the occasion.   Jane is like an expert level tennis player surrounded by mediocre ones.   She makes everyone around her better simply by being herself and that is nothing short of inspiring.

3. Cookie Lyons
Sure, dealing drugs is bad, but everything else Cookie does seem so good.   It is a good thing she kept Lucious’ last name because she is a lioness especially when it comes to protecting her family.  She can give a speech to stuffy Wallstreet investors and outdrink a bunch of gangster rappers. The question really is…is there anything Cookie can’t do? 

4. Peggy Carter
The chick is a freaking SPY in a time when women were told the only things they should be listening into were their husbands’ dinner orders.   She is stronger and more independent than most modern women on television with half the rights.  For some weird reason, the 1940's characters didn’t hear me yelling at the TV, “It was Peggy!” when the government gave all the credit to Thompson for saving the city.  Peggy doesn’t need my useless screaming defense, though, because she already knows she was Badass B.  

5. Felicity Smoak
Barry might literally run circles around her, Oliver can kill himself on the salmon latter (shirtless please) and Ray can fly around in his suit, but the real strength behind these heroes sits in an office chair behind her beloved computers.  She’ll never strap on a mask (eyeholes are confusing) or fight on the streets, but she’s a hero.   Maybe the greatest of them all because Felicity ‘s moral code is the constant in this journey, making her the guiding light.  I mean you've seen the light every time #Olicity kiss, right?

6./ 7.  Stef and Lena Foster
Life never seemed to give the Foster kids much of a break until they met Stef and Lena.  If you are lucky, you get one amazing mom, and after heartbreaking backgrounds, the Foster kids now get two.  Independently these ladies are strong but together, they are force of nature. 

8. Olivia Pope
Somewhere last season in the love triangles, we lost Olivia a bit. Then she got kidnapped and, although taking Olivia away from the best wardrobe on television is a crime against humanity, it did give us back Olivia.  She is the original gladiator who saves herself every time.   Whether you are #TeamJake or #TeamFitz, the winning team will always be #TeamOlivia.

     Oh Valentine’s Day! Remember when it was all about who had the coolest cardboard foldable cards and chalky candy conversation hearts?   Proving once again my theory that holiday candy could never stack up against everyday candy.  Who would ever choose the heart shaped Tumms over M&Ms? Maybe you were a particularly badasss grade schooler and your mom splurged for the Skittles Valentines packs.  Not to brag, but one year I did give out mini Lifesaver Valentines.
     Like too often, I have lost my train of thought due to candy. My point being Valentine’s day went from a good excuse to blow off half the school day for a party, to the most dreaded day of the year.  Almost everyone hates it. If you’re in a relationship, it’s a ticking time bomb of expectation.  And if you’re single, it's basically a "do not jump," circling the drain, day filled with self reflection that only rivals the late night hours of your birthday.
     Instead of avoiding the Walgreens heart covered aisles like the plague or fantasying about chubby Cupid’s eventual clogged artery induced heart attack, I say we Take Valentine's Day Back.  Remember, it’s one day about love and, as Love Actually reminds us every holiday season during the “God Only Knows” airport scene, love is all around us.   Even if that love isn’t romantic love.   The evidence of this can be found where all my life reaffirming ideas reside in.. Television.

Ten Totally LOVING but 100%  Non-Romantic Relationships for Valentine’s Day

1. Dig and Felicity/ Dig and Oliver (Arrow)
Sure hearts stop every time Olicity share a longing glance and, if they kiss, well twitter actually breaks.  But after Oliver’s presumed death (not actual death Thank God), it was Dig’s emotional “I just couldn't protect him” that felt like Ras' sword into our hearts.   From Felicity’s worry about Dig’s exploration of the Russian prison system to Dig literally and figuratively always having Felicity’s back, you just imagine these two swapping BFF bracelets. 

2. Deacon and Scarlett (Nashville)
When Scarlett heard that Deacon needed a partial liver transplant, she didn’t hesitate to volunteer. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a match but she did something equally painful for her. She called her mother.  These two might be unlucky in love, but thanks to each other, they could never doubt that they have someone to love on Valentine’s Day.

3. Ron and Leslie (Parks and Recreation)
When we get our first glimpse of the year 2017 it looks like a scary place.  Not because Grizzle (aka Google) is data mining our lives, but Ron and Leslie are no longer friends.  That’s a bleak future.  Thank goodness our beloved duo worked it out because, in a way, Ron and Leslie give our very divided country hope.  They prove that even the most different of people can find common ground if they try.  So basically, our nation’s problems might be solved if we can get everyone together over waffles. Who can fight over waffles?

4. The Villanueva Women (Jane the Virgin)
No wonder why Jane thinks the baby is a girl, the Villanueva women are basically amazing.  Sure they are all very different and sometimes fight, but they are always there for each other.  When Raphael threw Jane an impromptu bedroom graduation, who didn’t want to snuggle in with the Villanueva ladies in Jane’s bed.  

5. Nick and Schmidt (The New Girl)
You know it’s true love when you throw yourself a TinFinity party signifying ten years of blissful friendship.  Some might say that's over the top, but my best friend and I flew sixteen hours to Sydney, Australia to celebrate twenty years of friendship.   A little park party seems only fitting for a friendship as epic as Nick and Schmidt’s.  

6. April and Beth (Chasing Life)
Beth is the best friend everyone not only wants, but everyone needs.  She’s April’s defender, secret keeper, cancer syndrome Googler, hair stylist and the perfect hospital sleepover companion.  God forbid you ever get cancer, you can only hope you have Beth at your side to give you a different hair colors/cuts everyday rivaling Katy Perry’s ever changing looks.

7. Liv and her Gladiators (Scandal)
TeamFitz and TeamJake will be debated on twitter till Liv changes her permanent mailing address to Vermont or “in the sun.”  But when that red wine splatted on her pristine white couch, did anyone doubt that the gladiators wouldn’t spring into action.  Granted, some might say Huck’s torture methods err on unhealthy, but you can’t question his loyalty to Liv. If anyone ever told Abby about her missing BFF, we know she would flip out.  Those two’s history was beautifully on display when Abby’s abusive husband came back into the picture.  The gladiators might be flawed butch but in their own twisted way they do love each other.

And Three Classics

8. Will and Grace (Will and Grace)
When the show's title is the characters' names, you know the friendship is basically a game changer.   Sure, they married and had kids with other people, but the real love story was the platonic, at times extremely unhealthy, love between Will and Grace. 

9.  Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
Again the show title says it all.  Who didn’t want to grab coffee with this mother daughter duo at Luke’s, especially if it magically gave you their metabolisms? Actually, who didn’t want to have a light lunch of pizza, Chinese, pop tarts, donuts and fries with Stars Hollow's favorite girls.

10.  Cory and Shawn (Boy Meets World)
If TGIF kids measure love by Cory and Topanga standards, then we measure friendship by Cory and Shawn.  And these are hard to live up to.  Poor Topanga had to recite her vows to both of them because she knew these BFFs would be together in sickness and health till death do them part.

On February 14th Take Valentine’s Day Back because whether you’re single, dating, married or “Facebook It's complicated”  it’s a day about love, not just romantic love.   Or you can particpate in my traditional Valentine's day celebration by binge watching these great loves.  Happy Valentine's Day!