Valentine’s Day

 It’s all about love, forever and always. From love letters and roses to matching tattoos and public display of affection. Valentine’s Day has always been about how two people share a bond and to show that through little gestures. The intense emotions ebbing to a point where you cannot contain them anymore and you need to let the other half know how much you love them, Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to do so. Isn’t it intriguing how your grandparents or even their grandparents conveyed their love for each other? At a time where the society was not this tolerant and some people looked down upon the expression of love. People still did little things possible to express their love for each other.

Every era had different ways of showing love and it is not necessarily what we consider archaic now has to be that way just because of general perception. The truth is that love is a feeling, an endless emotion that you cannot bound by norms or trends. There can never be one single way to show love. It is different for each one of us, for the 7 billion people in the world, each soul has his or her different experiences and proclivities. you can neither define nor cage love.

As history goes, Saint Valentine performed wedding ceremonies for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and settle down, and for this act of his, he was persecuted. The motive was to spread love and to free it from all kinds of restraints and that is what we celebrate every year on this day. It is an important part of our culture and you should celebrate it with the incomplete spirit of the day. Instead of forming vague notions about a rather innocent concept.

The Past

Be it the Shakespearean era of wooing women, trying to entice her by songs or poems. Courting the lady has always been an arduous task. The right mix is of utmost importance. Key to a woman’s heart is a dash of virility here, and spice of humor there loaded with unlimited romance. But that was a time where love was artsier and people cherished every little intimation. A time when people used to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Have you ever thought about how your grandparents or their grandparents used to love you? 

What was their love life like? Whether they used to go on dates or had a nice Sunday cooking session at home. In the war-torn nations where soldiers used to pour their hearts out on sheets of parchment. Where once words were so poignant that they carried hopes and dreams and a promise of meeting soon although that might not be true. Their beloved ones back home always on tenterhooks, anticipating the next letter and praying that they receive one with the home-bound news. 

The past we talk of is not centuries ago although they had their ways of showing affection. People used to put so much thought into the little things they did. Time was not a constraint so things were done in a better way. Partners were more tolerant, despite the ups and downs they used to stick to each other and fare through the hard times together. Love was not short-termed, it isn’t supposed to last for a semester or just over summer break. It was a promise of a lifetime. Chivalry was personified and was a gentleman’s trait. It is hard to not fall for someone like that. 

The Present

In the pursuit of casual hookups or dating apps people chance upon love interests, romanticism has transformed a lot and the idea of love is a short-term fling that has taken a step further, lasts while its good and everything is going smooth. But we cannot deem the entire feeling based on what is trending. Something that drives people, makes them do crazy things for each other, and go to extreme lengths just to put a smile on their faces. Love isn’t something you read in a book, it is something you feel in a touch or a look. And that does not include the various pictures on Instagram or any other social media. You should have first meaningful conversations in person and not via text. 

Amidst all the cacophony where there are more heartbreaks than promises of everlasting love, there are couples setting goals and inspiring that even in an age where public display of affection is gaining more popularity, a time where a post on Instagram makes your relationship official. The youth has its ways to express innovative love and out of the box. Be it a bouquet of her favorite flowers and chocolates or a life-sized soft toy, the essence is to show each other how important they are for one another.

A nice candlelight dinner or an intimate gesture of making a mixtape or a weekend getaway to a beautiful resort to spend time with each other. There are myriad ways to spend Valentine’s Day, rather than the entire week! It has different designated days like chocolate day, hugs day, proposes day, and whatnot. The week of romance and love, the days where love is literally in the air. Who knows one of cupid’s arrows might hit you!

The Future

You cannot predict what the future holds with complete accuracy. It is absurd to include logic especially when we are talking about love. Love is a driving force, it is something that will always motivate people to go the extra mile just to see their loved ones happy. Because isn’t that what ultimately matters? That smile, and knowing you are the reason behind it, is an inexplicable feeling. The future might hold even better ways how people grow closer to each other.

The fictional possibility also holds that your valentine 10 years from now might not be a human at all. With the dignity of emotions degrading, the Valentine’s Day chocolates might be replaced with pills helping induce romance or emotional connections might be strengthened by Wi-Fi signals. We do not control what happens and we can only let our imagination run wild as to what the future holds in respect of love and affection.

The essential thing to be imbibed is that love is a necessary emotion that cannot be forced and can neither be taken away. So no matter what we think or what trends we might follow, or anticipate crazy ideas for the future. Love is only going to flourish, through unimaginable ways or even the old customary traditional way where conversations held more meaning than expensive jewelry. What we can do about it is just let it happen. It isn’t something you can buy at a supermarket and not even something you can find that easily.

But don’t be naïve to let go of the things you have and cherish them. You should not wait for Valentine’s day to express your feelings. A calendar date does not get to decide when and how much you are going to love someone.  Don’t wait for February to say the words, you do what you want when you want.

This is just a reminder that the best part of your life is right in front of you so adore it. There is no such thing as too much love and affection. Every moment spent with your loved one seems less and you would always want more. Let them know how much you care, tell a friend how much they mean to you. Go get that girl, tell a crush he is your crush cause if not now then when?