So, since it has become such an integral part of so many people around the globe, I think we should talk about it.
On February 14th, we paint everything with pretty red hearts and we say, “I love you. I love you. You are mine. I am yours. Be my Valentine.” That is February 14th. But how are we on February 15? Does that undying expression of love last even through the night? When our loved ones ask a favor on the 15th or the 16th of February, do we remember that we told them, “I am yours. You are mine,” or do we revert back to our old patterns of selfishness and selfcenteredness? We say these things with our tongues, but do we mean it with our hearts? It is our heart which must change, our heart which we must give to our beloved, not merely a box of chocolates. Valentines Day is a holiday of the heart, but too frequently we make it only a holiday of the wallet.
The real way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to make every day Valentine’s Day. Make every day a day in which you give thanks for the loved ones in your life. Make every day a day in which you repeat “I love you. I am yours. You are mine.” And, most importantly, make the heart and the actions match the words.
I have heard of a couple, married for 50 years in which they never had a fight, never a disagreement, and in which their love at the 50th anniversary was as alive and magical as on the day they were married. To what did they attribute this success? Each morning before getting out of bed, they said to each other, “I love you and I am so lucky to begin this day by your side.” Each night before sleeping they again said, “I love you and I am so lucky to end this day with you.” Simple, easy, fast and free... yet how many of us could do this? Rather, we forget the simple, beautiful expressions of love and appreciation, and instead revert to material gifts and fancy dinners in the hope that this can make up for a dearth of true feeling. It can not.
Lastly, we pour out our words of love to the people in our lives. We spend hours agonizing over what to buy them for this holiday, how best to express our feelings... But, who is our real Valentine? Who is the one who is always there for us, any time of any day, any day of the week? Who is the one who is always forgiving, always compassionate, and always willing to listen? Who is the one who never yells, never scolds, never calls us names? Who is the one whose arms are always open, who is always waiting for us? The answer is: our Divine Valentine...God. He is our real Valentine. Yet, how much time to we spend telling God, “I love you?” How much time do we spend with Him? He is the only one who will never leave us, who will never betray us, who is always there for us.
I hear people who are unmarried, or who are widowed, or whose spouses are travelling say, “I don’t have a Valentine.” Our true Valentine is always there – we came into the world in His arms, and it is to Him we will go when we die... So, let us open our arms and open our hearts to our true Valentine. Then, we will never be lonely again.
