The 14th of February has always been a day for lovers to me. Recalling myself in the past years, I have spent my Valentine's Day with noone really special and no special event to attend to. I could recall one attendance in LoveRage or two, a couple of surprise flowers and gifts, some mall dates and meetups. But I seriously could not even count one of them as my ideal Valentine's Day, one you can really spend with someone special and happiness radiates you all day long.

Recently, the right perspective dawned on me. I had my ideal Valentine's Days with someone special and in fact, the days turned out to be special. Throughout those years of waiting on someone to ask me out on Valentine's Day, I actually had special dates with Love himself. What made them special was that the love bug has lasted for a long time. Not just on Valentine's Day but throughout the whole year until the next stings came along. The same sting has been with me for years now. For the years I have called myself dateless on Valentine's Day, I actually had something special going on with the Best Date Ever.

Every year, Valentine's Day brought a different story. As I am having a date with BDE tonight at one of my most favorite coffee shop CBTL, I am glad to have the opportunity to write about a new story I encountered with him.

In class today...

Student: Teacher, why did Jesus die on the cross?
Teacher: Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. Because he loves us.
Student: But why is he on the cross?
Teacher: Because that is where the people put him to die.
Student: Why is there blood on his… (points to his palm)
Teacher: The nails on his hands made his blood flow out of his body. So he died.
Student: Ooooh... but what about my Dad?
Teacher: What happened to your Dad?
Student: He died. He is now in heaven.
Teacher: Why do you think he died?
Student: Uhh… my Mom just told me. I am just sad. I just miss him.
Teacher: (about to give him a shoulder hug)
Student: Oooh Teacher, you know I did my PACEs!!!
Teacher: (in tears)
…
Student: Teacher, why are you sad?
Teacher: Nothing.
Student: Is it because Jesus died?
Teacher: Yes.

I have never had a close encounter with death. Though I have close family members who died and whom I cried for, I never knew what death feels like. A short conversation with an eight year old about Jesus and death was a first time to me. It actually brought me to a deeper contemplation about what and who Love really is.

Jesus is Love. What He did on the cross was exactly a good example of love. Loving someone is more than the emotional feelings we carry for another person. If love was just about the emotions, then Jesus could have simply lived in peace and left us alone. But He loves us despite of our imperfections. He died to save us from our sins. There could never be a greater act of love than dying for another person.

To love is to die. I once said before that to live is to die. When we are living, we are also loving. Loving passes on a part of ourselves to that person or thing. When we love truly, we become sacrificial. We become selfless. We can even give up our chance to live. And this love lives beyond death.

I can feel and see the love of my eight year old student for his father. At a young age, he actually had the kind of love that could last for a long time. He has been bitten by the same love bug that has bitten me and would continue to bit me. As much as I wanted to cry with him and console him, I also delight in him. There would come a day like today when he would miss his father again. But I'm sure that he would always be reminded of a lasting love. A love that transcends death itself. A love created by Love himself.

If Valentine's Day would come every year with a different story, I would never flee from it again. I would anticipate it for the incomparable happiness it brings. Spending it with the Maker of Love would bring forth different kinds of love that lasts for a long time. And I believe a time for another incandescent love that most people have been waiting for would arrive. It does take time, sometimes almost a lifetime. But when we are loved by our Lover, time flees. And the next thing we know, it becomes the next chapter of our lives.

My simple Valentine's Day message would be this: Get yourself bitten by the Love's love bug, die for others whether literally or figuratively, and love and love again.

Happy Valentine's Day! :-)