Valentine's Day: A Day of Constants

Planck's constant. Avogadro's number. Pi. Mathematics is filled with constants. As a kid, I never understood why almost every other formula had a constant in it. I mean, look at the formula for the area of a rectangle, that formula makes perfect logical sense irrespective of what values you put into it and it has no constants. I used to think  that all these constants with these weird symbols were just there to make it all look fancy. But then, I got older. And I got wiser.

You see, mathematics, much like life, isn't that simple. Sometimes, the only way to get to the answer, is to have a constant, an ever present, never changing entity that brings meaning and stability to the whole equation. A constant that will always hold up the equation regardless of what variables you put in. 

I'm sorry, I might have gone off on a tangent there. Of course I am not here to talk about numbers. I am here to talk about love. It's valentine's day! I love this day, because, well, I love love. Love, the one redeeming quality about our otherwise despicable and pathetic species. It is a bit sad to see everyone trivialize the day so much. I don't blame them to be honest, I can see where they are coming from. I'm as cynical as I am romantic. 

And the cynical-me has often buggered me with a question; isn't all love the same? If yes, then why do we need that 'special someone'? Most of us are lucky to have loving parents and friends. Shouldn't that be enough? What makes this love different? 

This is how I have always answered that question.

There's good times and there's bad times. Now, the good times get even more better when you are around your loved ones but these moments can hold their own if you are alone. So there's no necessary need to have a special someone during the good times (although it is most definitely worth having one). But the bad times, now they are a whole different ball game.

When you are down and at the lowest point in your life, those who love you will always try to pick you back up. Which is logical but it's easier said than done. The first ones to come to your rescue are going to be your parents, obviously. And they are gonna do everything in their power to get you out from whatever dark place you have been stuck in. But here's the problem; they're too close to you. And every time they look at you and try to help, they hurt on the inside. Every moment they try and fail tears them apart, slowly and painfully. And then there's the whole 'How could I have even let this happen?' regret that comes into play. I mean, that's the reason I never told my parents about the cut I got when I was seven years old. For a parent, nothing can hurt more than watching their kid suffer. 

And then there's the friends. One of the most amusing human relationships. Now they can be a bit aggressive in their methods. No one likes seeing their best friend be down. And they become so focused on pulling you back up, they fail to realize that they might very well be ripping your arm off. 

But here's the thing about bad times; the cure isn't change. The cure is time. Sometimes all you need to get through a bad patch in your life is time. But you can't do it alone though, no one can. You will need someone to help you through. 

Someone who wouldn't try to change anything or try to pull you up but instead lie down in the dark with you, hold your hand and make the pain bearable. Not erase the pain, for we do not live in a fairy world, but just make the pain bearable. Bearable enough for you to see a ray of light again. 

Someone who won't try to pull you towards the light but will stay with you until you reach there yourselves and make you think "If this is what the dark feels like with her, I wonder what the light would feel like".

Someone who'll never let you feel like you are alone.

Someone who'll never let you feel like you are lost.

Someone who'll always be there.

Like the North star in the night sky.

A constant in a world of chaos. 

That's what Valentine's day has always been about for me. Constants. Different people see the day in different perspectives but for me, it has always been a day to celebrate that one special constant of our lives. A constant that'll give meaning to the equation and give us the right answer.

Don't get me wrong, for most of us, our parents are our constants from the very beginning but as we grow older, life gets more and more complicated. More and more equations come into play. And if you're even fairly good at mathematics you'll know that every equation needs its own specific set of constants. 

So yea, that's why I consider this day to be special. Not only is it a day to celebrate love but also a day to celebrate that one constant of your life that makes everything make sense. 

Happy Valentine's day people. Have fun.