Tuesday 14 February 2012

My thoughts on Valentine's Day


I do not particularly like to celebrate my birthdays by partying and getting drunk, what more valentine's day? Maybe I am a little odd. In our modern society nowadays, and especially in Singapore, I feel Valentine's day is just another very commercialised day when we splurge on gifts, flowers and expensive candle-light dinner on our loved one.

Birthday is the day you are given a precious human rebirth. If you can feel and realise, that out of the zillions of beings (humans, animals and other beings in the lower realms...), you are born as a very precious human being, then that is something we should celebrate about, EVERYDAY. Not just only on this day, but everyday, we should think and contemplate, and celebrate our good fortune for having achieved a precious human life.
Hearts drawn by niece years ago

Valentine's day gives you an excuse to shower your loved one with anything, everything material. Sometimes I feel the attachment is so overwhelming. Yes, after all, all beings need love. But no matter how blessed each of us is in finding/having a partner, we still have to leave this world one day, alone. If you really must celebrate V-day, think, and realise and be thankful that you have found the love, someone you can connect to. But then again, isn't everyone else you meet connected to you in the first place? Everyone is inter-connected in one way or another. Do not belittle such affinity. If you are able to extend that same love you show to your lover, equally to all others (family, friends, strangers, enemies, animals) with the same attitude, then that is really something worth celebrating.

Sometimes I feel that if we have so much love to give, why do we reserve that just for our spouse/lover/partner? The only thing why we love our spouse is because we know we get something in return, ie. mutual love and companionship. On the other hand, if we show concern/compassion for, say, a beggar on the street, or help a needy person, even though he/she may be very grateful to you, that person may not necessarily 'reciprocate' your love. We should extend that love/compassion to many other people who are suffering in pain in real life. In doing so, life is much more meaningful, so much more fulfilling and we gain skies of merits. And that, my friend, is unconditional love.

Instead of celebrating Valentine's Day, celebrate Life itself.

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