The real story of St. Valentine is murky. Either he was a saint who married lovers in secret, or he was a prisoner who fell in love with his jailor’s daughter. No matter what legend we believe, Valentine was killed for true love. He became a saint and February 14th was declared as Valentine’s Day. This day is supposed to be a day of sacrifice. We have, instead, replaced it with sacrificing our credit cards for the purchase of chocolates, flowers, jewelry, or gifts with Amazon. A saint is an ocean of love. He lives for the sake of others. He has neither identity nor ego. He is a bundle of joy and peace. On the day that is dedicated to a saint, we must try to embody some of the saintly qualities, at least for this one day. So, on Valentine’s Day, lovers’ quarrels get a day off. Our chant should be, “Yes dear,” and nothing else. After this one day, we will appreciate how difficult it is to be a saint. We will be glad that Valentine’s Day is over and we can get back to being our painful selves again. — Satish Daryanani
