Yesterday was Valentine's day, a day supposedly dedicated to the expression of love. It is actually only about romance. Romance may be a pathway to learning about love, but it isn't necessarily love. Unfortunately, most people have no idea of what love really is.
Romance is about one person being 'special'; whereas true love is about each and every person being 'special', each in their own, unique way, and worthy of love, or at least understanding, respect and compassion, no matter how difficult you may find it to actually like someone. That's what we're meant to learn through romance.
In that respect our civilizations have all failed us. Each of us should have been taught, long before puberty, yes, to be cautious, but to offer love to everyone unconditionally, even while sometimes having to defend or protect ourselves from perceived threats.
Instead, we are taught, especially in Western society, to just look out for ourselves, unless the other person has something to give us, or can be taken advantage of in some way.
A day promoting romance is fine, but a day - or better yet, 365 or 366 days - each year promoting actual, unconditional, agape love would be even better.
We cannot truly love ourselves without first having had the experience of being loved. That is why it is important for each of us to love EVERYONE we encounter, especially those whom we find most difficult to love - because how else could people like that ever get the experience?
Romantic 'love' is just a first, faltering step, but real, true love is sacrosanct, inviolable, and contagious.
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