This Valentine's Day, Let Love Be Universal

Valentine’s Day is the perfect day for affection. It’s the long awaited day when secret admirers come out and couples go the extra mile to plan the most romantic day of the year. Millions of dollars are spent on flowers and chocolates, restaurants prepare for a busy night, no matter what day of the week Valentine’s day falls on.

But the big question is: What is love? According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, love is defined as “a strong feeling of affection for another.”

Evidently many couples show that affection the most on Valentine’s Day, leaving those not fortunate enough to be in a relationship feeling like somehow they’ve been left behind. However, the multi-million dollar “love” industry doesn’t show the true meaning of the emotion — t simply reflects a sense of materialism.

Is that what love is all about? I disagree.

I’m currently going on nine months in a new relationship and this year I found myself conflicted about Valentine’s Day.

When asking myself what love was, I realized that the love that I feel for my significant other is so much more than one day of gifts and fairy tales. Love is greater than laughs and romantic moments. Coming from someone who has had very different experiences in both the single life as well as relationships, I do admit I have been among those who felt left out on the day of love. But I realize now that I was never alone, nor have I ever been unloved.

It seems like the idea of love for most of us is what Hollywood wants us to think it should be. In my 27 years of life, though, I can now say that finally I have a glimpse of what love should be all about.

In my opinion, love is more about the journey two people make to live a life as happy and as stable as they can. That journey is not always about butterflies and gifts but also about the struggles and sometimes even the disappointments that a couple has to go through to make it through.

In fact, speaking to couples that have been together for 10-plus, years many of them say that the struggle is what makes a relationship stronger. Adding communication, honesty and trust makes the perfect concoction for a strong relationship.

Regardless of our relationship status we sometimes forget that our family and our closest friends have been the first to show us love.

It’s easy to think of love and say that only couples feel the true meaning of love, but we have grown so accustomed to the love our family has to offer we no longer feel the high-like feeling that falling in love gives us.

Nevertheless, their love is there. We see it every time our mothers and fathers wish us a good day, every time our friends smile after not seeing each other in a long time and every time someone takes the time to ask how you are doing.

So this year, go out there and love. Love your significant other, your parents, your best friends, your siblings and grandparents because love is universal. Its the compassion you feel towards others and the desire to help those in need.

Love is the key to a better world.