Anyone who doesn’t live under a rock is aware of this specially recognized day. It is no news to any youth especially. But I live in India and when I first thought about it as a mature youth, my curious mind made me question its origin. The first trace goes into history and towards one or two early saints names VALENTINUS. But there is no mention of the fact that this day must be considered specifically and only a day of romance between just two people. As a poetry enthusiast and a poet myself, I finally traced out how it was Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet who first connected Valentine’s day to romance in his poem “Parlement of foules”.
Now that was the history of it. But let’s focus about the present because we can’t change history of course.
Why is Valentine’s day so important in today’s world?
Well, because we need more lovers and thinkers and honest people and WHAT MORE REAL THAN LOVE. We see greedy people everywhere. We see people shout to gain votes but what for? A politician to a plumber are all just doing their jobs. They earn bread and they go home. But lovers, they live. They are in the most honest form alive today. When the world is deep in their personal wars, a lover far away is giving unconditional love. I believe in LOVE as a religion. One true religion.
But let’s talk about the romance side of it here because we Indians need to. How many times have we hidden our love? The youth in front of their parents, the parents in front of their children, Lovers in a street from the passer-bys. This needs to take a backseat. This mindset of secretly tying up love inside walls and translucent windows is so suffocating. Love is meant to be free. It is born in a free heart and it ripens in freedom. We have to look at actual problems of the world – global warming, hatred etc. Love is not a problem. Love is a solution. I believe we can solve a thousand problems in the world and spread peace at the same time just by believing in love.
People go to work and come back in evening to their beds and life goes on. We study, we earn and we die. We forget to live and most importantly we forget to love. The promises made with school friends in those long corridors, the bets we had with college mates, the lovers lost in time and every person who has someone they must share a day of good food and conversation with must come out to celebrate a Valentine’s day. Your valentine is not only your partner but can be anyone whom you just love. Your friends, your family, the old college gangs and every other person whom you met and loved needs a Valentine’s day with you in this busy life.
I don’t believe in borders. I never have. After living in so many cities with their various cultures and languages I have come to believe that nothing is stronger than humanity and the love we share. For me, Valentine’s day is a day to celebrate what you cannot celebrate in your everyday life. Practically we cannot meet the people we love everyday and we cannot eat and drink and share jokes and laughter. If you had the rare opportunity to meet people who brought sparkle in your eyes and made your heart feel peaceful, you must gather them on this day. Be it one person or a gang of two to hundred, gather them. These little moments aren’t little after all and maybe that’s what Saint Valentinus wanted people to know and celebrate. Some LOVE and these LITTLE MOMENTS.
