Love & Valentine

Every one is gearing up for the 14th of February "lover's day".  A ‘dozen red roses’, a ‘teddy bear’, a ‘sexy lingerie’ a ‘romantic dinner’ and a ‘cute card’ are the usual lovers’ gifts on Valentine’s Day. These are beautiful gifts but they are well-worn out symbols of Valentine's Day. This special time should also be a reflection on our relationships and also speak more honestly about love in relationships.

Recently, I read a poem Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy. The poem described how an 'onion' is suitable for showing love. The onion represents light, discovery, tears and the tough side of love. An onion works as a love gift. The brown skin of the onion which is the wrapping paper, hides the white vegetable that’s inside which she called 'The Moon'. 

This picture of the moon represents the whole onion, just after it has been peeled. The round, white moon is there under the brown paper, and we know that when the paper is removed we will see the moon's light:

‘It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.

It promises light’. What does ‘light’ mean? ‘Light’ means the truth.The moon’s ‘light’ represents love. Moonlight often provides a romantic setting.  The different layers of the onion are like the layers of someone’s personality. You gradually discover these layers in a loving relationship. The onion is simply discovery!

Also, an onion stands for the truth about love. Love is not just about Valentine's Day but about what love truly is in it's entirety.

What makes a relationship meaningful is honesty. Honesty constitute a major step in the success of any relationship. You will agree with me that often times we all are working towards being 100% truthful in our various relationships. This is not a deliberate attempt to be dishonest, but to many, expressing our emotions to our lovers/spouses is a major struggle that often get relationships on the edge. 

Love is more complex than "lovey-dovey" romance because another aspect of love is ‘tears’. At some stage in the peeling of an onion, the eye sheds tears. This relates to love, as the reason for these tears can be physical, emotional or both. ‘Tears’ and ‘grief’ are part of real life love. Not only will the onion bring tears by the spicy sensation to our eyes, the pain caused by a loved one similarly brings tears.  In life there are moments of hurt in a relationship and I think we should honestly admit that it's a phase in every relationship. Tears blur your vision and in turn makes you doubt the love in your relationship. But where true love exists, the peeling and cutting of the onions will surely come to an end and you don't ever remember the hurt when enjoying the meal!

Finally, You can make mistakes in love, which is why forgiveness is such a vital part of any relationship. However, people often relate constant infidelity and lying as a mistake. Infidelity is a choice, not a mistake. A mistake is a an argument over something petty, not being considerate enough, forgetting something your loved one asked you to do not lying or infidelity. If you are a forgiving person, you are more likely to be forgiven.

I give you an onion.

Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,

possessive and faithful

as we are,

for as long as we are...

Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy

Until next time
Have a blessed day...
xoxo
Ashabi