Of course, we know that Christmas and Valentine’s are the most commercially exploited days of the year. And we end up financially victimized each year, harassed by the same frenzy that we whine about no end. But still, we become willing prey yearly because we love what these dates stand for, and relish the illusions they create.
Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, "Love is the master key which opens the gates of happiness." Helen Hayes says, "Love…is perhaps the only glimpse we are permitted of eternity." Love expert, Leo Buscaglia, declares, "Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life," and Beatle, John Lennon, sang, All you need is love.
Along with all the ecstatic feelings love brings come corresponding realities and agonies. Goethe wrote, "Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing." Love can get you flying so high but when you are confronted with its ultimate realities, the fall could be really painful. Maybe that’s why the term is "fall in love," not "fly or soar in love." The ones who coined the phrase knew that once you are in love, you’ve actually fallen!
Love is truly a double-edged sword. An anonymous wise man once wrote, "Love is like a fire. Whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn your house down, you’ll never know."
Someone in love is actually in a temporary state of heavenly insanity. To him, everything is perfect: the world, the person he loves, there’s even music in the air. Soon, he wakes up and sees things he never saw before — the loved one’s faults, the importance of finances in a relationship, the power play in the love relationship, etc.
So much of the love experience is created by the mind. To keep love’s magic, you have to create illusions and live out fantasies. Keep the courtship going. Set yourselves up for romantic evenings. Flirt. Caress. Seduce. Give and take. Sacrifice. Sustain the romance, or love will die.
What can you do if you are dateless on Valentine’s? You may arrange a group night-out with unattached friends. Use the time to meditate about your life, determine where you really want to go, and write down your goals. Have a special dinner with your family, hook up with long lost friends, or take an invigorating walk with your dog. Most of all, spread love around to those who need it most – volunteer for a hospital, cheer up the sick, clothe the poor, feed the hungry.
As you see, there are many avenues in which to express your love energies. There is no need to be afraid of Valentine’s!
Give red roses if you want to express deep romantic love and respect. Yellow roses signify joy; one yellow rose stands for jealousy. White roses stand for purity, innocence, and secrecy. Pink is for admiration, infatuation, puppy love, and also for gratitude and appreciation. Light pink roses express understanding, sympathy and sorrow, or mean "Get well soon." Coral and orange roses disclose desire, while pale roses of any color signify friendship.
Rosebuds represent beauty, youth, and innocence. Half-open roses state a promise while ones in full-bloom reveal ripe, full love. One perfect rose stands for one and only love, while two roses wired together connote or announce an engagement. Three roses mean, "I love you"; a dozen means, "I really care" while two or more dozens mean, "I am crazy over you!"