Valentine’s day is around the corner and soon enough the streets will be bustling with bouquets of lilies, roses and all sorts of blooms. Romantics at heart will declare their love and commitment for their significant others and the famous winged cupid will shoot arrows in all directions, in hope of finding a target. Men will kneel in front of those they wish to spend the rest of their lives with, holding a box with a gem like none other. Flower shops and chocolate confectionaries will welcome the hordes of orders (and the greens) with open arms and the atmosphere will flourish with the sweet smell of love. This is undoubtedly, the ideal situation.
Love is a subjective matter indeed. What may be of absolute importance to one in a significant other may be entirely different from the expectations of another. The feeling of love may be consistent across the globe, but the means of expressing it may be tweaked. Some experience it without saying a word, while others need dramatic entrances and bouquets of flowers. Some hold another’s hand without a question of doubt in their eyes, while others need explanations and open gestures. The meaning, however, remains the same and tugs at the same heart strings, making the heart beat to another’s name. Yes, you may label me a hopeless romantic. But I think loving someone should be void of anything that can taint it – expectations, distrust, disloyalty and the likes. Even if one party does not express it extravagantly, it strums your heart’s strings to a melodious tune.
Over here, I do not speak of merely love between a man and a woman, or significant others. I speak of love in all forms – love for people you do not know, love for relatives, love for friends and most of all love for God. There are several times when unconditional love becomes extremely difficult as situations in life get you entangled in a series of thoughts. But letting go of these and accepting another in spite of their imperfections can truly allow one to unconditionally love another. After all, even a rose has thorns. Nature speaks for itself.
So embrace your neighbour, embrace your friends, embrace your loved ones and embrace yourself. Because if you do not love yourself to begin with; it becomes difficult for people to love you. And most importantly, embrace love, in its purest form, untainted by jealousy, greed and other emotions which raise doubt. Extend your arms and embrace that rose in its entirety - thorns or not.
