The origin of Valentine Day has a very inspiring and touching story. According to the story, St. Valentine was a roman priest. At that time, the emperor was against the marriage of young people. He believed that young unmarried people fight well in a war in comparison to married people. He was also right in his thinking because once you are married then you feel concerned about your family, wife, and children.
So the emperor prohibited the marriage of young people. However St. Valentine was in favor of young people getting married if they are in love. St. Valentine was imprisoned and killed for opposing the emperor views and order. But his defiant stand slowly inspired countless lovers to express their love to their beloved. Since St. Valentine was buried on 14th Feb, This day is celebrated in his memory as well as a day to express your love.
I like the story and the concept of valentine and I also salute the spirit of St. Valentine who gave more importance to love over saving his life. Love and Compassion are one of the main teachings of Jesus Christ and I believe the world needs it badly today.
However, I feel sad while looking at The commercialization of Valentine’s Day. Because the way marketing and the hype is created for Valentine’s Day then it looks like if you are single then something is wrong with you. You need to have a partner and you are expected to go on a date on 14th Feb. It seems as if we have lost the right to be single or alone on this day. The big companies promote this day aggressively so as to increase the sales of beauty products, chocolates, flowers, greeting cards, jewelry items and sales in restaurants.
We should not force things on young and impressionable mind. It’s good to be in love and it’s also good to be alone. It’s alright if you don’t have a partner because you should never be in a hurry to get engaged. First Get mature, have experience of life and Say yes to someone only when you feel deeply connected with him or her. So if you are single, it’s alright and that may be correct for you. Don’t force yourself to be in a relationship. Because you will be tempted to do so, seeing many of your friends already in a relationship. Be yourself and don’t compromise or imitate anyone. Everyone is unique and so is their life journey.
On this valentine day, if you are single then feel free to share your love with plants, animals or with nature. Plant a tree on this day and you can have a lifelong association with him. The idea that you should express your love to a person from opposite sex on this day should not be forced or expected from everyone. Let not embarrass the young people who are single by asking them their plan for valentine day. Instead, The idea of love and being oneself should be promoted on this day. You can be loving to your parents, relatives, friends, plants, animals or to anybody else.
If you are single then pamper yourself on this day Or do something special for your loved ones. The real message of Saint Valentine is of love. We should be loving from within and should not force ourself to be loving just because valentine day has come. The quality of love is important and for that, first of all, we should be able to love ourself. Once you love yourself unconditionally then only you will have the capability to love someone else.
Valentine’s Day is a reminder to you to fall in love with yourself first. In case you are single then don’t feel left out of the crowd. Spend time alone and get in touch with your inner self. You should fall in love with yourself first before you can love someone else. So first let go of any guilt feeling if you have. Forgive yourself for any mistakes which you have committed in the past. Accept yourself the way you are, with all of your imperfections. We all have some shortcomings or other. If you are not able to accept your shortcomings then how you will be able to love someone with his or her shortcomings.
So use this day and the lovely vibe on this day to heal your heart and start accepting and loving yourself more. In the end, The most important questions for you to ponder is “Am I genuinely loving?” and Why can’t I be loving every day? Why I need a special day to express my love?
P.S. When you allow people to be the way they are and don’t force them to behave in a certain way then you not only give them freedom but you are also loving to them. So if you want to be loving on Valentine day then don’t force any kind of expected behavior on this day. We are not robots but human beings.