True Down-to-Earth Talk About Love and Valentine's Day or Any Day

True Down-to-Earth Talk About Love and Valentine's Day or Any Day

A love expression day – a span of just 24 hours – that is Valentine’s Day. Here today, gone tomorrow is that how we want love to be? I think not and I also believe that almost everyone seeks and believes in the possibility of enduring love.

Any day can be a day of love. In fact, every day should be a loving day where we can express philia and agape love. What about love for 365 days? Would 365 loving days work for you – for me – for almost everyone?

Love's images are many. Love's Image songsheet. Photo Credit: Library of Congress.

A Pandora’s Box is Opened on Love and Valentine’s Day, Right Here and Now

Let’s recognize this, Valentine’s Day is February 14 of any year from now to eternity and it is a big commercial and monetary play on the theme of love.

Love has many expressions and many gradations or levels. From simple flirtation and interest in another to deep committed and sacrificial love, the waters of love may exist as simple small streams of love that come and go and soon dry up to the deepest oceans and seas which last for eternity. That's one view and metaphor of the spectrum of love.

We actually don’t need Valentine's Day to express our love to someone, we can use any day or every day to do that – don’t you think so?

Here’s something else to meditate on – if most people were not in love, or did not think they were in love, there would not be much money to be made for and on Valentine’s Day and many other days also. Since there is money to be generated during the Valentine’s Day festivities, there must be many people expressing love or, at the very least, seeking love. So, my word to the wise here and now is this: don’t be deceived or roped in if you feel “unloved” or lacking in a true love. Don’t simply worry about whether you will get a card or special gift just because it is Valentine’s Day. Instead my advice is, rather than just being a simple conformist, do something different and unique for someone else – that will work very well.

Yes, Valentine’s day is a day of expectations, hopes and promises. Because Valentine’s Day is a day filled with love, and probably also a day filled with deception, everyone needs to be careful to not get roped in by false expectations amd misleading ideas. Here are some simple thoughts about love which may carry you into and, I hope, way beyond Valentine’s Day.

Love Views on Three Different Levels: Eros, Philos and Agape

Love is known and expressed in different ways and self-love or self-respect is important to all humans. For those who believe that there is a God who loves us, that in itself is the best start to knowing we are covered by that great love of God for us. For those who are not there in your beliefs and thinking and cannot abide with that statement, then remember and consider that there are people who love and understand you, even if you don’t quite see or understand that yourself at this moment. There are also people who care and love other people (including strangers) and they expect nothing in return as they love and help others. That's special and that's unique.

Eros Love, One of Three Types of Love:

Eros love is the emotional and feeling love which is filled with highs and great expectations and driven by hormonal influences that may override the both intellect and the philia and agape types of love.

Eros – is passionate, driven and deep emotion love. It is common to teenagers and other persons who often love at an extremely high emotional levels.

Philos – is love based on friendship, understanding and knowing a person. It is a commitment, involved, helping, listening, hearing and helping type of love.

Agape – is the deep, committed and sacrificial love of one person for another who does whatever is needed for the one who is loved, regardless of the cost or sacrifice. This is an unconditional love that loves despite all odds and in all circumstances and all situations. It is the deep ocean of love that abides.

As you think about the three types of love , see where and how you can fit your life into a love pattern that will work for the rest of your life. Both philos and agape love are possible for humans who make that choice. Visiting the sick, the lonely, bringing gifts to the needy and the homeless are acts of mercy and love. Taking time to listen, talk and entertain someone with no motive other than to be helpful is simply wonderful and an act of love. Listed below are 8 things to do on Valentine’s Day or any loving day which can be every day.

Eight Things to Do for Valentine’s Day or Any Loving Day Which can be Every Day

1. Call a long-lost friend or relative to say some words of connectedness, friendship, encouragement or even love. That person may appreciate it more than you ever imagined.

2. Send a letter, e-card or e-mail to someone who would benefit from a written communication of love and kind words of encouragement and hope.

3. Call a retirement community home and ask if there is someone there who would appreciate a visit from someone who would come to talk and listen. Some people are never visited by a friend or relative.

4. Be attentive to someone’s needs and see if you can be of help.

5. Send a love note to a soldier who has sacrificed to keep America safe and free.

6. Send a contribution to a soldier’s family who has lost a loved one.

7. Spend some time thinking of how important you are and understand that you are loved and can share love without ever running dry or being able to love others.

8. Be thankful and take time each day for being able to live, love and be thankful.

Valentine’s Day is just one day. Loving Day can be every living day. Everyone needs to remember that. Love now, love always because true philos and agape love is the fuel of life.