“Roses are red, violets are blue…the rest of this poem is up to you.”
Every year on the 14th of February people all around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day. Although there are various different disputes around the history of this day, the fact remains that Valentine’s Day is intended to be a celebration of love and affection.
Consequently, there are many vastly differing views around this day of love that has become rather controversial. There are those who are all for it, those who are completely indifferent and those who are truly against it.
Many people consider Valentine’s Day as the most romantic day of the year. A day for taking a leap of faith, risking it all and declaring your love. For the not so brave, it is a chance to declare affection whilst remaining securely anonymous. Some believe it to be the perfect day to propose matrimony on. Others see it as a day for rekindling romance and remembering why they fell in love. Then there are those who view it as an opportunity for making amends. While the more materialistic relish it as an opportunity for the giving and receiving of extravagant gifts.
A large majority of people believe that Valentine’s Day is an over commercialized money making ploy rather than a celebration of love. There is definitely some truth to this, many individuals and businesses sole motivation around this day is that of making a profit. However, I believe that should not define your view of and approach towards this day. You cannot control the actions of others but you can certainly control your own.
Allow me to share with you what I like and dislike about Valentine’s Day …
I really don’t like the way Valentine’s Day is seen as a celebration of the love that is shared only by couples instead of love in its entirety. This leaves many people feeling left out, dejected and rejected. I also don’t like that the degree of a person’s love is seemingly measured by the size and cost of the gift.
What I do like is that Valentine’s Day motivates us to take stock of how the love of others lights up our lives and gives us a unique opportunity to express our gratitude. I also like the fact that it encourages us to say those all-important 3 words, “I love you” which too often go unsaid. Last, but not least, I like that Valentine’s Day inspires us to align our actions with our words and go the extra mile by demonstrating our affection and appreciation through thoughtful acts of love.
I can’t deny that Valentine’s Day has a special significance for couples but I do believe that love in all its wonderful forms should be part of the day’s celebrations. Love towards ourselves, our partners, our parents, siblings, other family members and friends. Every form of love enriches our lives and is worthy of celebration. Don’t allow society to dictate how you view and celebrate Valentine’s Day.
My goal is to build on and nurture the feelings I have on Valentine’s Day so that my love relationships don’t regress, or stagnate but rather continue to grow and become stronger. I aim to love selflessly, wholeheartedly, unconditionally and consistently.
This year on Valentine’s Day I will once again be celebrating my love for my Creator, my husband, my children, my family and friends, all those near and dear to me, as well as love for myself.
I wish everyone reading this a very Happy Valentine’s Day.
“Let all that you do be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14
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