The Heart's Lifetime Occupation

When people talk about challenges, nothing beats those that deal with matters of the heart. Suffice it to say, it is almost impossible to take things lightly for no matter how hard one tries to elude the impact it presents, people will always get emotional one way or the other.

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love. And LOVE is a celebration of one’s deep feeling of compassion for someone who deserves it. Being in love is one of life’s amazing experiences that one can have. And those who have not experienced falling in love definitely missed out on something great.

Being in love should be a lifetime occupation.

It may be an understatement though, but I believe that if people should work hard to stay in love... then, is it not an occupation or what? For, after all, people are continuously finding ways to express what’s in their hearts and to attain it, is one hell of a job!

I can’t remember the first time I fell in love. This may come as a surprise for some because I know a lot of people will never forget their first love. Well in my case, it’s a different issue. I can’t remember the first time not because I am too old to remember it or I have a disease called SMDS [selective memory dysfunction syndrome] or because I totally had amnesia.

I can’t remember the first time I fell in love simply because I am perpetually a "first-time-first-fall" kind of gal. This may be something hard to believe but since the moment I was old enough to appreciate the beauty of being with someone special and began to understand the meaning of affection and the warmth that it brought to my well-being… to the point of experiencing the joy of sharing the same emotion with someone equally appreciative, I knew then that falling in love is so amazing. And each time I fell out of it, I had to stand up again and get ready to fall again for the second [first] time around and the third [first] time around and the [first] next time around and so on. Yes, I am that persistent.

But falling in love is a hard task. Love is a learning process that everyone has to go through without considering one’s limitations. People who went through the process gained varied learning experiences that eventually guided them to the next level. Well, we need to consider the fact too that even in this "course" there are those who we regard as – fast and slow learners. And the word failure does exist in this field as well. That is why it is not surprising to hear that those who fail have totally given up on love.

If falling in love is a hard task, falling out of it is great if not equally disheartening, as well.

Love is a workout.

Like our muscles, we need to work hard to harden our emotions in order to face the trials that come along the way. Shape our judgment to be able to free ourselves from egotism and become selfless. Strengthen our faith so that we will be able to see beyond what is not good and beautiful. Tone our passion to be able to keep your desire burning with pure affection. And make our conviction firm so that we will be able to keep our good values in-tact.

I cannot count how many first loves I had in the past. All I can remember is that each one is unique, each one is special, each one is educating, each one is illuminating and each one is memorable. I can’t even choose which one is my favorite and which one I do hate the most. All I know is that… the next time I fall (for the Nth first time)… I will be busy working my butt off again… for I’m IN for another lifetime occupation.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was written on Valentine's Day of 2006, the year before I found the love of my life with whom I married in 2007. Reposting it in celebration of the Heart's Day.