“The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.”

by Craig Ruvere

This Thursday is Valentine’s Day – the supposed day of love according to the greeting card companies.

It’s a time of year when ordinary husbands and wives pay as much as a 75% premium for such items as flowers, candy, jewelry and dining, and those who’ve lost or never found their true love lament.

Years ago, when I was first married, I used to feel the pressures of society when it came to this over commercialized holiday – buying into the hype even though I didn’t fully support its premise. I remember someone once said to me, “Don’t you love your wife? You have to get her something for Valentine’s Day!”

It’s a pretty sad day when the affection we hold for someone is measured more on inanimate gifts, one day out of the year, than the love, respect and compassion we offer from our hearts all year long.

As the day approaches, I’ve overheard countless woman threatening their husbands and boyfriends with bodily harm over the phone if they aren’t showered with roses or diamonds or some other overpriced item on this day of love. It truly begs the question, is that what love is all about these days?

Author Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote that, “The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.”

I couldn’t agree more with Emerson.

Flowers will eventually wilt and die and material possessions will provide some happiness early on, but will eventually settle in to normalcy. But fully giving your heart to someone, unconditionally, is a gift that will last a lifetime.

Every day as human beings, we should give the love of our life more than they expect – not just on Valentine’s Day. Your mate should be your best friend and therefore deserves to be treated as such.

So take this holiday season to remember why you chose to get involved in the game of love in the first place and try and rekindle that flame in all its glory – not just one day but every day. True love is about simplicity, not materials.

Many of us are only given one chance at true love, and time makes us forget just how special that feeling truly is. Love is not measured in flowers, candy or gifts - it’s measured in the size of your heart and the unconditional love you provide 365 days out of the year.

 

 

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