Love day is every day

Love day is every day. I would end that statement with the exclamation point but I think the blog content is enough to make my point.

So, is it over now? Valentine’s Day, the Heart’s Day or the Love Day whatever you want to call it –is it over? Yesterday, February 14, is over, so does it mean we should stop celebrating love? Shame.

Most especially this year, I find the hype of commercialism on Valentine’s day annoying. Not romantic at all. Everything color red or heart shaped is on sale as valentine’s gifts; Facebook and twitter status are flooded with reminders of love, of romance, of making partners and loved one feel special. My inbox received at least 20 valentine greetings. I’m grateful that I have sweet friends who remember me. I am not grateful that Amazon, Hallmark or Yahoo reminded them to greet me on this very particular day and today alone.

Love day is every day. Not just yesterday. There are lots of people to be remembered, to be cherished and to be treated like V.I.Ps all year through.

I miss spending time with my husband like the younger days. Our normal day is not seeing each other awake, I leave at 6AM and he’s still sleeping; I sleep 10PM and he’s still at work. Yet, he will gently hug me close in bed to let me know that he’s safely tucked in. I will hug him back in the morning before I leave the bed and then really quietly leave so I’ll not wake him up. The set up is temporary but we don’t wait for one special day to do special things for each other- there’s always foot rub or special meals take away from work, love letters through emails, sweet nothings, daily ass-grabbing and dirty and not-so-dirty phone calls. Those moments are special and cherished. Those actions are not dictated by “valentine promotions."

I used to expect a lot of romantic gestures from exes(ss) or previous relationships. After all, as I used to reason, it was Valentine’s Day. And I always make a big fuss about not being taken aback by their gesture. I am a tough nut to please. And yes, what a nut I was. As I look back and rationalize, I never felt happy with them as I am happy now. I have used Valentine’s Day as an excuse to emphasize that fact that I need love and I should get it on Valentine’s Day. It was pathetic. All fancy but fake.

There is one way to spend Valentine’s day in a not-so-fancy way though. Back home, couples line up in motels; queuing for their quick demonstration of “love” inside that shady motel room. Getting a cab during Valentine’s day is a real challenge and when I did get the cab, the driver will endlessly talk about how many couples he took to the motel already. And I always take the cab only in the morning. Go figure.

Being a Catholic country, isn’t premarital or extra marital sex a sin? Well, it has to be. I maybe a non-practicing Catholic but I think I know our values. I have no right to preach as I had my share of value-violations (ssssss) – but for these acts to become an accepted norm is really beyond us. What I am trying to point out is: Why does our society accepts this?? Why do we let college kids check in these of shady places? Why do we make it so easy for them to violate the Bible teachings? Why not prohibit these institutions? Or why not ban below 21 year old couples or why not check marriage certificates or IDs at the very least?

Don’t you think it’s weird for all of us to expect that there will be no occupancy in motels during Valentine’s day as everyone is celebrating? It became an infamous Valentine joke but I don’t see myself laughing.

Love day is every day. If this is our interpretation of love in our country, then motel day is every day. Are these motels, Anito or Victoria Court franchising? Anyone knows contact person? That is a very good business opportunity if this is the case.

Aha business opportunity!

IF (and that is a big IF), I am going to be the country’s law maker – I will make it difficult for all the motels and rooms for rent to operate that they would not want to do business anymore.

I didn’t intend to whine about this but this is bugging me for quite some time. When I first took my husband to the city, he was curious what's with all the motel rooms is. Next to SM malls, the motels are the second attractions in Metro Manila. That is not good at all. Well, he said in his country, you need to present a marriage certificate before you can check in a hotel with someone of opposite sex. It was difficult for their age to get laid even though they have a willing partner. They live according to the Islam teaching of preserving oneself for marriage and the society is advocating that.  If only our society can advocate the Catholic teaching too.

Okay, rant’s over.

Love day is every day. And here are passages from the Bible we should live up to everyday. Not because Valentine’s day is over that we should stop reflecting on the value of love.

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' – Matthew 22:37-39

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. – Proverbs 10:12 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . .And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - excerpts from 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

Love. Don’t hate. Show acts of love and kindness to people – EVERYDAY!