Valentine’s Day Special

Valentine’s day morphing into universal affection.
http://nabsites.net/demo/valentines-day-morphing-towards/

Throughout the history of language, words have taken on new and expanded meanings; Valentine’s Day is no exception.

From an exclusive meaningful rendezvous between two lovers, the Valentine’s Day will morph into an all inclusive romantic day. It will become a universal affection day within a decade.

Valentines Day is a universal expression of affection between two individuals.  Love has no bounds; it is between two people in love, husband and wife, mother and son, father daughter, brother sister, brothers, sisters, friends, uncles, aunties, Grand Pa and Grand Ma and any one you care about.

Please feel free to say happy valentine to your sister, mother, brother, daughter, dad, uncle or a friend. It is a much bigger word now than it started out to be. Take them out for dinner and send them flowers to let them know that you care if you are the only one for them at this point in life.

While we Americans express it by presenting Red Roses to our loved ones, the Filipinos will break another record; the number of people kissing at the same time, Brazil will have another major festival on her beaches celebrating love. You are welcome to share other such expressions.

On the other side of the world, a few frustrated ones with life go to the other end. The right wingers among orthodox Muslims, Hindus and perhaps Jews will start giving religious tones to it instead of going to their place of worship and seeking God’s love. 

Sadly, some of you are going to feel lonely, if you miss the love in your life; you have an opportunity to fulfill it. There is plenty in you that you can give by feeding the homeless, visiting lonely patients in the hospitals or nursing homes, disadvantage women and children, our veterans… share whatever little you have with them… when a homeless person asks, give whatever you can,  that is the most affectionate thing to do, you will enrich yourselves far greater by sharing.

Whenever the word affection comes to mind, I picture my Dad and recall the way he called out my Mother’s name Khairun, it was romantic and filled with affection and I have always enjoyed the sound of it.

I’ve become conscious of my own voice when I am talking with my wife Yasmeen, it gets enriched with that affection. Indeed, the affection is like a rainbow and takes different colors, but it is the same when I address my daughter Jasmina, my niece Tamanna and my sister Dilshad, and now my voice is uploading itself with that affection for my new daughter Maheen; Yasmeen’s daughter. The same goes with my son Jeff and daughter-in-law Fern and my father like figures Everett Blauvelt and DD Maini. I feel the same special bond with my brothers and their families and friends Shariff and Adil. I have deep respect and affection for Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk, Rev. Bill Matthews, Dr. Harbans Lal, Len Ellis and Imam Zia Sheikh, though I don’t see them frequently, I feel their caring and their affection.

You may want to share your own experiences of romance and affection in the comments section below. It is a good feeling to express it.

Happy Valentine’s Day

I dedicate these two songs for Yasmeen, my dear wife. It was our love for Urdu poetry that opened the doors for each other.

What a difference you made in my life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ni1WPGEZtg&feature=fvst

and, You decorated my life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJkPFSt326c

and,  Ishk per zor nahin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzyTc8qqDlQ

My expressions would be incomplete without honoring the poet of love, Mirza Ghalib, one of the greatest romantic poets of all time.

Ishk per zor nahin, hai a o aatish ghalib
Ke lagaye na lege, bujhaye no bujhe.

Affection is that flame O Ghalib,
you cannot initiate it or extinguish it at will, it just happens.

Kenny Rogers in his song above says there is no rhyme or reason that is what love is all about.  Mirza Ghalib is (was?) a Urdu/Hindi Poet of India, who has written poems on everywhich way one feels affection towards the other.
# # #

Mike Ghouse is a thinker, writer, speaker, futurist and an activist of Pluralism, Interfaith, Co-existence, Peace, Islam and India. He is a frequent guest at the TV, radio and print media offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His work is reflected at three websites and 21 Blogs listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/