Love
February 10, 2015, 8:00 pm
I’ve always been an incurable romantic. I love everything about Valentine’s Day: the lacy hearts, the candy in heart shaped boxes and the abundance of flowers. And all this brightness, sweetness and beauty arrives in the gray, cold month of February when it is most needed.
An added bonus is that even Christians do not know exactly which of its three Saint Valentines the holiday is honoring. No one gets insulted if I say, “Happy Valentine’s Day”. This is a stress free and low key holiday.
But one thing has always troubled me. The emphasis on Valentine’s Day is on romantic love; girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives and lovers. Sadly, romantic love is a gift of pure chance, and Cupid’s arrows are notoriously random. You’re lucky if you are in love.
Everyone, however, does need to have love and to give love in order to be a happy human being. Fortunately, many kinds of love exist, and Valentine’s Day can be expanded to celebrate love’s myriad manifestations such as:
- The love teachers give to their students, even the troubled ones
- The love given by medical workers especially those who go into war zones and epidemic hot spots
- The love given to the elderly by workers in assisted livings and nursing homes
- The love environmentalists give to the earth
The Beatles got it right again, “All you need is love”. Doesn’t say it is only that romantic stuff that counts.
7 Comments for this entry
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Greetings and welcome...
The Suitcase Lady Blog is now in its fourteenth year. I am obviously a believer in these words from E. B. White. "We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry." Thank you for reading the writing that I delight in doing.
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February 10th, 2015 on 8:20 PM
<3
February 10th, 2015 on 8:39 PM
Absolutely right! All we need is love, any kind of love! Love you Mary Tooley! Hugs, kisses and smiles from Tijuana! <3 :D
February 10th, 2015 on 8:51 PM
Food for thought, indeed. The decadence and mutually-destructing nature of our society today is ample evidence that love has disappeared from the average mindset. People today seem to love themselves far more than their neighbors: we have become a ME civilization, and this should be a matter of significant concern. Your words in this blog entry are refreshing and most appropriate.
February 10th, 2015 on 9:29 PM
Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 10th, 2015 on 11:15 PM
Love, love, love it!!!
February 10th, 2015 on 11:23 PM
The love of dear family friends that have been in your life a long time. Happy Valentine’s Day my friend!
February 11th, 2015 on 11:47 AM
Happy Valentine’s Day, Mary. I love reading your blog every week!