A Very Happy Valentine to all the girls I know....

Isn't it good that Valentine's Day this year comes on a holiday thats, Sunday the 14th?

Or is it just appropriate? I mean, I love Valentine's Day, mostly because it is all pink and hearts and smiles and hugs. But let's be real about it: it's a Hallmark holiday, made up for consumerism.

Today, beleagured young men line up to buy overpriced flowers and jewelry to show how much they "love" their partners.

I've never really been too much about the material gifts, though in my high school days I can admit I fell victim to the enormous pressure to make this day count.

I've received some pretty nice things over the years from various suitors, some expensive and some just thoughtful. Not all of them meant true love. In some cases, no real emotions were involved whatsoever. So be it. I'm sure it was fun while it lasted!

Some of my best V-Day memories involve my girlfriends in bahrain, strolling away with the rest of the lonely singles. And that's okay too. Love, for me, has always included both the romantic and the platonic and each is most important in its own way.

This year, we've decided against the traditional celebration. In these meager college years, this day equalled an excuse for a fancy dinner out. Last year, it was an extravagant trip to the majestic here in Nagpur, with some lovely gourmet eats. (It has also been long lines in restaurants where the very next day, you can eat the same food without waiting a minute. Long gone is the insanity of that!)

Now, we are going with pizza and an evening of "Fun" - or some romantic all-time absolute favorite film, inspiration for a fairy tale life of love if ever one existed. Not much different from other nights, really, because here in the midst of the damp hostels, that is what love...is.

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all. No matter the celebration you choose, may this day of love be filled with just that in all its treasured forms.