Well, It?s that time of the year again - Valentine?s Day ? a day when millions of people around the world say those magic three words ?I love you?-- without having a clear idea of what they actually mean. Some utter these words to get something out of their partners, others use the occasion to demonstrate their ?love? for their partners, while still others who have taken the trouble to ascertain the true origins of this day, realise that its yet one more highly commercialised event like Christmas, Easter, New Years etc, designed to benefit retailers of various goods and services.

But back to the concept of ?love? ? what does it really mean? Its probably one of the most repeated word on this planet yet perhaps the least understood because of it?s intangible nature ? a fleeting emotion or feeling, a state of mind. The first thing to understand is that love has many dimensions. People profess their love for their car, house, job, hobby etc and of course often for their life partners. All these reflect different levels of intensity but nothing can match the feeling of ?pure? love ? an all encompassing powerful experience, similar to the pristine and selfless love that a mother feels towards her newborn child.

How many men who profess their profound love for their sweethearts are actually prepared to die for them- and vice versa? Yet when one experiences that true selfless love mentioned above, one has no hesitation whatsoever in laying down his/her life to protect the object of their affections, without any feeling of ?sacrifice? ? just an innate, instinctive and spontaneous response to a given situation.

Apart from the foregoing, there is yet one other aspect of love that very few people are privileged to experience in their lifetime -the rare feeling of pure, soul-uplifting exhilaration that one gets if one is fortunate enough to experience God?s presence. The over-powering soothing effect of such an encounter reduces a person to tears of joy, like no other experience can replicate but alas, this wondrous experience seldom occurs more than once in a lifetime. For the majority of people who have not yet been lucky enough to experience this life-changing moment, there is hope. You can get a glimpse, a small taste of that hallowed moment by just going to any location that you find spiritually uplifting?a seaside cliff, a mountain top, a beautiful flower garden etc and let all your five senses come alive by enjoying the setting that is instinctively right for you..

So on this Valentine?s Day let us reflect on the true meaning of the word ?love?, so that this day can take on a special meaning and purpose in our lives.