"You can give without loving, but you cannot love wihtout giving" -Amy Carmichael-
Among many things I've been called before, some of the most popular ones are 'Idealistic', 'Dreamer' & 'Skema', but it's Valentine's day, so indulge me a little.
I think we live in a cold world. Perhaps it's social conditioning and bad experiences, but most people are cold, blocked by a wall of ice to prevent themselves from the potential of getting hurt. How did we get here? We are social creatures, meant to share in the blessings of warm loving relationships.
There's been a bit of controversy recently about Valentine's Day celebrations in Malaysia, supposedly celebrating Valentine's Day might be immoral and it's a practice of a certain religion. While I will refuse to criticize anyone or comment about religion and culture, I cannot for the life of me understand why a day to celebrate love should be deemed immoral. Wouldn't the world be a much better place if there was much more love around?
Perhaps our definition of Valentine's Day and love has been skewered by the perception that it's only for couples and lovers and it must be accompanied by over-priced flowers, excessive romantic dinners & arguably immoral activities after dinner. Can we define love by such a narrow view? Maybe that's why so many singles actually dread Valentine's Day.
(With all due respect to those who say that Valentine's Day is everyday and we they should treat their partner special everyday) I think the idea of a special day to celebrate love is a wonderful thing. And that love doesn't have to be just between a boy and a girl in a relationship. What about family and dear friends?
I don't know your parents, but unless they believe that Valentine's Day is a pagan and immoral celebration, I think they'd be happy if their children made an effort to celebrate and spend some time with them. Heck, I think they'd be touched with just a card or a phone call.
So what if you're single, searching for the right one but can't find him/her and the festivities just make you feel miserable? Try giving freely of yourself and your attentions to someone who needs it more than you do. Make someone less fortunate happy, or go cheer up some other lonely soul. In the idealistic happiness model, true happiness is found in giving oneself to serve others. And in the idealistic dating theory model, those who find contentment within themselves become incredibly attractive to others and soon find that love comes calling.
Happy Valentine's day. Go love someone.
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