Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day
It is very close to February 14th when we celebrate Valentine's Day; a day that we honor the feelings that we have for one another whether it's our beloved spouse, our family friends and all of our relationships.
I remember as a boy how fun it was to get those little boxes of the hard heart-shaped candies that had little writings on them like ”Be Mine” and I know I can't speak for others but I was a little sheepish sometimes about offering one of these special candies to a girl that I was sweet on.
Valentine's Day came to us from the Middle Ages when there were Roman Pagan festivals and the Christian idea of marriage and love and it has evolved today into a celebration of love and courtship with images of Cupid and twin hearts on boxes of chocolate candies.
With any holiday it's always really important to take a look at what is the deeper meaning of the holiday itself rather than just get caught up in the trappings. And, of course, the worst part is feeling the guilt of being obligated to get some form of gift for your partner, or else it means you don't love them as much as you possibly could.
As a side note, I remember television commercials from the 1980s about diamonds and how the commercial went on to say that if you really love her, you would buy her a diamond that was perhaps three months’ salary. And as we all know, 1one cannot quantify love, because it is beyond the reach of space and time. And so love itself cannot be measured but we always try to express itself. So does that mean that if you don't love her so much you just give her a diamond worth one month’s salary? Be serious! Please never allow guilt to be your motivation for expressing love; it will end tragically.
So, if you're considering celebrating this Valentine's Day with someone you want to express your care for them and it could be your spouse, your family your children it doesn't really matter it's just an expression of love then consider your motivation for having done so. Meaning that your motivation is from the most sincere foundation of love itself! And that is because love has no caveat, it has no hidden conditions, no ulterior motive it simply is just love itself!
And of course, as always, let it be from your heart because your heart speaks in volumes so profoundly that no words can really express it although certainly we do try!
Blessings,
Dr. Richard Jelusich, Ph.D.
