True Valentine

It's two days to Valentine and I hear people talking and singing. Where is your boyfriend/girlfriend. Where are you guys going, what's the plan and all that. It's a good thing to think about your boyfriend or girlfriend but is it all there is to Valentine's Day?

We all know or most of us know that Valentine is a Saint who loved helping aged people and been cheerful. Catholics should know the story very well. He wasn't known for showing love to a particular lady or bedding anybody but rather a selfless and unconditioned love was what he showed to those around him.

It is so heartbreaking that in this first century we have turned the true meaning of Valentine's Day to Sexetine's Day. Where people married and unmarried venture into different kinds of sexcapeds in the name of showing love. People now plan how they are going to have sex and with how many people. Some plan how to extort money from others in the name of celebrating Valentine.

What is Love

In a lay man's language, love is showing affection for someone or something. It is an act of care. Love is unconditioned. You can't control it. When love speaks nothing holds it back. It gives without thinking if receiving, it appreciates, endures, builds and binds. Love does not ask questions, it does not lie, it forgives and see the good that comes with it. Love in all is beautiful and good.

Now Valentine's day is a day where we are suppose to show this unconditioned love to friends and family and even strangers. We are suppose to extend our hands of love to those who dont have, those we think or feel we are better than. People we give to and don't expect back from because our love should be pure for it to be considered as love. We should look at Saint Valentine for example and follow his footstep of love. If you don't know the story, you can browse about him.

The perception of people on valentine's day: what valentine entails...

Many people have taken Valentine's day to be a day where they can visit their boy/girl friends, have fun and make out. Some even don't call their own immediate family. Some see it as a day to sleep with so many girls while others see it as a day to collect gift from different men. Others will also break up just so no to spend money on that day. But truly, is this day just for this?

No. It is a day where erotic love should be at bare. A day where we see others as ourselves and reach out in any little way possible. You could check on a friend next day. That your neighbor you don't see often, that your friend you have not called for months now because of work. You can visit the hospital, prison or the orphanage and share some stuffs with them or spend some time with them if you don't have. If this is very tasking, you can share gift with people around your neighborhood you think needs certain gift. Seeing that day as just a day for lovers don't add up.

It's okay, that lovers can celebrate that day as a day of love but the way it is abused now is alarming and people tend to actually do stupid things on this very day. People fight over people and over petty things not been done on this particular day. Love is love and we can change that. If you have someone that love you fine but we shouldn't indulge in act that doesn't add up all in the name of Valentine.

Also, it's a day to share gifts. You can do that to friends, colleague, family, neighbors, lovers etc. Items varies to buy so buy what can appeal to the heart. For me, I will love a flower accompanied with any other thing. Hahaha. Sex should be the last thing on our minds on this day rather love for humanity should be top on our list.

Some places one can visit on Valentine's day

Zoo

Eatery

Pool

Beach

Cinema

Parties

Church seminars

Parks

Picnics

Church gathering

Orphanage

Hospital

Prison

Old people's home etc

The last four are underlined because I wish we could do more of charity this Valentine.

I want us to know that Valentine is a saint of true love and would expect us to show this love the right way . That is, we shouldn't think about ourselves alone but about others especially those who we think or believe may have no one to care for them. we could take one or two things to them or better still, pray for them. I don't know how how my Val day will be like and I hope to touch a life or two that day and I believe God it will be good one.

Some take home lesson

Valentine's day is not a day for sex but a day to extend hands to people we care about

Valentine's day is a day to be selfless to those who cannot do for themselves

Valentine's day is a day to be more cheerful and appreciate the good things of life and people around us.

It is a day to share with one another.

In a nutshell, it is a day to be more charitable.

Thank you for reading my piece.

Pictures taken from my personal collections and unsplash.com