Valentines in Isolation
By Moses Aisida
“There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved. — George Sand, French novelist and memoirist”
A season of love between two or more people set in a time of isolation seems like the perfect irony, right? Well, given how the last year has gone, the irony now stares us in the face as reality. With many major cities in the world locked down – even with Manitoba recently easing its restrictions a bit, it is nowhere near what a normal-February in the world would be. The absence of gatherings of love, romantic dinner dates, proposals at bars, etc., might put a dampener on the annual celebration of love. As this year’s Valentine draws near, it would be interesting to see how creatively people will navigate the obstacles of the pandemic, and still express affection to their loved ones.
Virtual Love
Most large gatherings, meetings, conferences, hangouts, etc., have moved to virtual platforms. Due to restrictions, people have gotten so creative in connecting with their dearest ones through virtual meetings, video calls, and even audio calls. February 14th will not be any different. A lot of people will have to resort to these virtual platforms to connect with their loved ones. Virtual dinner dates, music-sharing dates, Netflix movie parties, etc., are some innovative ways to stay connected with our loved ones on Valentine.
Gift of Love
One of the core concepts of Valentine is professing love through gifting. Even a global pandemic cannot stop people from sharing gifts with their loved ones. From buying flowers, perfumes, giving money, to even a love card, an effort to purchase gifts for someone would make the season enjoyable and keep the fire of love burning. Even if you cannot afford any of these things, loving someone and letting them know is as important a gift as any of these material things.
The Essence of Love
Isolation might keep us from physically being with other people, but we have to remember that love transcends the physical. We must acknowledge that love comes from the heart and that there are several genuine ways to display it. So, this Valentine’s day, pick up your phone and call that friend who lives in the next province, send an email to that brother who lives overseas. Write a letter to that lover who lives two streets away, order a box of donuts for your neighbor, send lovely texts to your coworkers, host a virtual party with your family, or do anything that extends love to others.
Even in a pandemic, there is still enough room to show love, and once we have that, we are never in isolation.