My Thoughts on Valentine's Day ...

Just a little something I wrote, as featured in "A Love Story" - Vol. 1 (Magazine)
Enjoy!
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Red. It’s the most popular colour of the day. A dozen red roses, perfectly scented, hand-picked and delivered to your door. Champagne on ice, served with juicy red strawberries. Presents beautifully wrapped with red satin ribbons. The Gucci curve-accentuating gown, the flawlessly-manicured shimmering fingertips, and the oh-so-kissable lips - all flaming hot RED!

Red. It’s the colour he imagines his account will soon become, as he watches his date, whom already took shopping earlier in the day, excitedly order the most expensive items on the exotic menu in rapid succession!!! Ouch.

Red. It’s the colour of her eyes and her tear-stained, flushed cheeks, as she re-reads for the umpteenth time, the text message he sent minutes before their big date: “It’s over, I’m in love with someone else ... I’m sorry.” Double-ouch.

My thoughts on valentine’s day undoubtedly include memories – the fond and the not-so-fond. How could I ever forget excitedly opening one of my very first valentine’s day cards in high school, wondering who on earth it could be from, only to discover it was addressed to one of my classmates and not me! (Apparently, she had also got my card from the same guy! Can we say ‘playa without game?’ ... funny now but believe me I wasn’t laughing then.) Anyway, one of my fondest memories came on a very uneventful valentine’s day when, late in the afternoon, I strolled into the living room and saw a card addressed to me. I carefully read it, absorbing every line and gravity of emotion in every sentence, and reaching the end, I smiled – it was from my mom.

Everyone has thoughts on the subject of valentine’s day, but I think we all agree it’s a day to express love. What that LOVE is exactly, is where we may not all be on the same page. A thousand people could give a thousand definitions, but I get my definition of love from Love itself – God. Love is patient, kind, doesn’t envy or boast, isn’t proud, rude, self-seeking or easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs and doesn’t delight in evil. It rejoices with the truth, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. (1Corinthians 13).

Well, what are my thoughts on valentine’s day? ... Hmm. I’ve never been one of those people who lament about not having a date on valentine’s day, or who insist on a significant celebration of the day; that is not to say I’m averse to commemorating it. Perhaps it’s because my birthday is four days after valentine’s day, and the anticipation of celebrating my birthday overshadows the valentine’s day fever, or perhaps it’s because I’ve actually never celebrated that day with someone I’m in love with, not yet. Thus Valentine 2011 is particularly special to me because I’m engaged, and looking forward to what in effect will be my first true “Valentine.”

In a nutshell, here’s what I really think about V-day: it should be a day to express true love, especially to the people you so often take for granted throughout the year - the one’s closest to you, those people who you actually love and treasure the most. True love doesn’t seek to receive or insist on getting - it GIVES. V-day should be a day not just to say ‘I love you’ but to show it by giving. Yes, presents are nice, (I’ll take a thoughtfully-chosen gift any day!) but far above those, the most priceless gift you can give is YOU: A listening ear... An insightful compliment... A selfless act... A timeless audience... A soft answer... An unhurried embrace... A heart-warming smile... hmm.

Red... It IS the most popular colour of the day... It’s the colour he imagines... It’s the colour of her eyes... But it’s also the colour of the fluid running in the veins of every man, woman, boy and girl – blood. Your life is in your blood; and the laying down of one’s life for another is the ultimate display of true love. Permit me to share here, an excerpt from one of my poems, titled “What’s the colour of love?”

What’s the colour of a starving family, getting a hot meal from a stranger?
Of nakedness clothed in beauty, or being rescued from intense danger?
What’s the colour of complete guilt deserving of judgement, instead receiving mercy and grace
You’re dreading disdain, but receive honour; you expect a cold shoulder, but get a warm embrace
Tell me the colour of a man laying down his life for another
One that’s neither father, nor mother, not sister or brother
Tell me that, and then my friend, the colour of love I need not name
For THAT colour and Love’s hue are one and the same!

Bottom line, I must say I do believe we should show true love to one another on every one of the other 364 days of the year; but on Valentine’s Day, it wouldn’t hurt go the extra mile, and give the ones you love, and perhaps those who have no loved ones, just a little-bit-more of YOU!

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Lady I. - Wishing you and yours an unforgettably beautiful Valentine's Day!