Valentine's Day Supplement

Friday again.

Today is the 12th of February which means that two days from be will be Valentine's Day. Some fancy day for those who are in love and would like to show it to one another but above all show it to the world that they are into each other.

I am sure some overzealous friend of yours will post on some social network the origins of the day and explain to you why you have to put on red on the day. In that regard, I will not bother with searching on Google about the story of Valentine and his love or things in those lines. Those who are curious will go on and do that.

What I have here is some sort of reflection on the day lovers have dedicated to themselves (or did someone do it for them?) Last time I did a similar thing people accused me of being a hater of the day. Probably because I was single. The good lady will make this article a bit better, or so I hope.

So, this day, I am told, people do celebrate love. It is the sort of day when a lot of gifts exchange hands and gift shops are emptied of the teddy bears or whatever romantic things are present. The sort of day people do not limit themselves when it comes to intimacy. All these are pleasant but taking a look at the youth of today, I question whether some of these things are done out of good will.

At some point I wrote something about the rampant breakups that are out here among the youth. We have so many relationships coming to premature ends and so many meaningless ones which are nosediving into breakups in the midst of our sight, and yet all of the people in these relationships will knowingly or unknowingly be celebrating Valentine's day in a showy manner. Bad? You answer that.

Then comes the cost of the day. So many will try to stretch themselves and try to make the day for their loved one by doing things they have never done before and the never can on a normal day. While it is nice to sort of do the new thing, eat at a new joint, buy the new thing lime never before, it is important to realise our abilities and to spend within our means. Anyamata anzanga, mukundimva? Of course I haven't said you should do nothing.

Making the day special for the loved one shouldn't leave us with an empty pocket to an extent of failing to to buy credit for the very relationship we were trying to spice by overspending.

Other important point on Valentine's day is that this should be a day of stock taking for people in love. Sometimes it is good to look in retrospect and see the highs and lows of our relationships and see how we can maintain or reshape them for the better. Him who has ears, let him hear and interpret that. And of course apply it.

Little word to my single friends. There is no reason to panic or wish the day away. Someone said that just as people without AIDS commemorate World AIDS Day, people without lovers can also celebrate Valentine's day. Good idea, but let us learn to accept realities. It is not good to fall into desperation and let someone abuse our wallets or bodies for the sake of commemorating someday which unlike my birthday is not even a public holiday (my birthday is a public holiday, in case you didn't know). No more explanations.

To something a bit more serious, I think it is high time young people in love got to understand the true and deeper meaning of love. In the Good Book called the Bible, there is a lot of comparison of God's love on people with the love between a man and a woman. The book of the Prophet Hosea, the Song of Songs, Paul's epistles; all of them compare God's infallible love to the love between a man and a woman.

This should tell us about what we should be inferring when we utter the word love unto someone. It is better to hold our peace other than to lie to someone that we love them, when we are just there for our selfish reasons and for our own gain. Something to think about.

Summary.

We have a day to celebrate love. Let us do it with meaning and reflect on the true meaning of the word love. Above that, let us do it with no regrets. May this day not just be the day to show off what we are not within our relationships and families.

By the way, this is not a day to celebrate love for siblings as some will cheat you. If you don't have a girlfriend, a sister will not be a proper substitute so spare yourself the shame and don't upload your sisters.

Happy Valentine's Day from Richie Online.