What is wrong with Valentine's day?

February 14th, a date that is one of the most popular in the year. Maybe second only to Christmas and New year's day. A day that bears different meanings to different people. A day that has been a victim of criticism by many - mostly the guys, and some opinionated girls. A day that has inspired a lot of jokes, some albeit hilarious.

Because I like jokes and a good laugh, I would give a few examples of puns I've seen and heard about the day.

- Boys always try to breakup with their girlfriends and then make up on 15th of February

- Girls do not get angry before that day no matter how hard their boyfriends try to annoy them

- Valentine's day should be shifted to March 1st, for the sake of salary earners

- 'Toasting' reduces drastically around this period...and so on

The day in itself stems from history, like so many other special days. Many would argue that there were many people named St. Valentine and that what they did has been doctored and twisted, sometimes due to selfish reasons into what we now celebrate. My answer is, who cares?

First of all, to celebrate the valentine's day is not by force. If you don't believe in it or identify with the concept - big deal? - then don't mark it.

Second, if you want to mark the day, then do it from your heart. A man who gives his girlfriend or wife a 2011 Aston Martin, and tells his girlfriend that 'I am giving you this because today is Valentine's day and I am your boyfriend' has given less than a man who gives his girlfriend a pair of shoes and says 'I am giving you this as a token of my love for you, and to celebrate what we have because with you, everyday is special'. Of course, the materialistic girl, who has no love for her beau would prefer the former...but that's not what Valentine's day is about. That's just gold-digging.

All I'm saying now is that to really know you are celebrating Valentine's day with the right person, you have to want to do that everyday. You want to take them out, whisper in their ears how much you love them, hold them in your hands, feel their heartbeats with your ears and not once would you think any of these is unnecessary burden.

In some settings, people pick names randomly to decide who would be whose 'Valentine' and there is exchange of gifts and cards. This promotes camaraderie, which is totally wrong - sarcasm intended. It is not wrong, in fact, it is great - for those who don't understand sarcasm.

On a lighter note - A baby with a bow and arrow? That's just cute.

I'll end my story by saying, if you have that partner that you claim to love, and you decide because you want to be different, not to acknowledge February 14 with them, you are on your own. Don't say I did not tell you. Love is a verb. Love is a doing word.

Peace...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day

Yay! It's xmas!

...And new year in exactly one week.

I thank God, for sending us Jesus, the reason for the season.

So many things I'm grateful for this year. You know, the gift of life, good health, favour, grace, friends...and most of all, the gift of love.

Last year, in July, after I finished my internship in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, I learnt I was going to be posted to a place in Eastern Nigeria for my national service. Had to get a map to find the location of a place called Ebonyi. This was after, in the normal Nigerian spirit, I had done all I could to 'work' my posting to Osun state or somewhere in the South-West.

I went through the Elizabeth-Kubler Ross stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally, acceptance. However, thank God for some wonderful friends I met there who made my stay worth the while.

Early January this year, I think 3rd to be precise, walked in the reason I'm writing this blog. Even though she had traveled in from afar, and she had this wearied look on her face from having dragged a giant and heavy (yeah, I carried it...as per gentleman) traveling bag...she was still radiant. I knew I had found someone special. Don't ask me how I knew...I just knew.

She was synonymous with perfection. The way she stood, her carriage, her elbow's carrying angle, her smile, her eyelashes, her eyebrows...her spirit...it made me understand what Michael Jackson meant by his song Speechless. For all my recent attempts at being more 'social', I couldn't come up with an intelligible conversation. I offered her part of my burger that day, when she said no, all I could think of was how nice it would be to share food and everything with her one day.

Days passed, because we lived in the same building, I was able to see her like every 2 - 4 days. Either when she goes to the well to get water, or when she comes back from work and someone needs to open the gate for her (always tried as much as possible to be that someone). Still, the most conversation I could come up with was 'Hi!', 'Long time', 'Did you travel?', 'Someone is addicted to malt' and some other lame stuff.

One sunny afternoon, while waiting for a cab to take home from work, she was already waving her hand in front of my face before I saw her. That threw me off balance. I would have loved to see her like 2 kilometres away so that I could brace myself. Yours sincerely started sweating profusely...Haha...my shirt started to stick to my body, my tie became uncomfortable, my shoes felt like furnace. A cab came and we got in for the 5-minute ride...all conversations finished in 2 minutes. I didn't even remember to be polite! It was freakishly awkward. All I could dream of was being able to talk about everything with her one day.

Fast forward to February, mid of the month...my close friends were leaving as they had completed their service. I was lonely, I needed a friend...and she was there! That Saturday saturated with sweetness, we had the longest conversation since that time I saw her first. We talked for hours...but it felt like minutes. It was a wonderful day for me.

On Valentine's day, we had a random pairing of males and females in our compound for the day...I fervently prayed for her to be mine, but fate had other plans.

We had and still have a lot in common, so it was easy for us to become closer and closer. As time went by, we started sharing everything. She started to care what I think and say about her, neighbors started teasing us, we started hanging out more. I still remember the first time we held hands...it was perfect.

I knew I had to do something. I had to tell her how I feel about her. After I had rehearsed for days, which turned into weeks...courage or opportunity letting me down many times...I finally told her. She kept me in suspense for 3 days. And then she made me the happiest and luckiest guy in the world. Since then, it has been good progress for us. She made my year, she made my life.

Every single day, I cant but thank God for her. I was short-sighted. I didn't want to go to no jungle for service. What did I know?

If you are wondering who the angel is, her name is Emenena...meaning 'my own'. She's truly Emenena.

My Numnums, I love you always. Merry Christmas.