Well howdy neighbours! Hope everyone is in good spirits — I don't necessarily mean the alcoholic version — looking forward to the weekend and living and loving life to its fullest.

Speaking of loving... February is Black History Month. As a black woman I celebrate black history all year round, but many thanks just the same to the assigner of months who made it official. I won't dwell on it, instead I wish to focus on something spoken about so frequently throughout history... LOVE.

Millions of songs, movies, plays and stories abound on this subject, but I am still not sure what it is. How often have we said it and meant it? That being said, I love deeply and truly. Oh yes.

I can hear the jaws dropping to the floor in awe that I have emotions, but I do. I love my family unconditionally! Ha-ha, thought you were going to get some juicy, love interest story of me and a tall dark and handsome stranger or two, huh? Sorry to disappoint you guys, I'm talking about that kind of love shared between a set of people who do not necessarily agree on all things at all times, but is never ending and has no limits.

Do you believe that real love between couples still exists? The rapidly increasing divorce rate would suggest that it doesn't or is it that people are making hasty decisions based on temporary feelings? My parents are still married so I should be the poster child for marriages and relationships shouldn't I? Well, I am, but for other people, none of this couples, love nonsense for me please. If I'm going by my parents' outstanding example, a lot of patience, compromise, blood sweat and tears and the survival of all these trials is required, sounds like a lot of work and I'm one lazy son of a gun. My siblings and I share the same parents, grew up in the same house and we have differences, much less a perfect stranger who I've just met for a couple of years. I'd probably smother him in his sleep.

I recall sometime ago receiving a very insightful quote from a friend which read "Ever since sex became easy, love became harder to find." It made me think, which is rare, but some elements of the statement are true. We live in a sex-driven world that shuns love and its trials. First sign of any hurdle on the road to true love we are being encouraged to seek sexual fulfillment elsewhere, so the need to succeed is not as great.

God made things for us to use and people to for us to love, but somewhere along the line, we flipped the script and did the opposite. We will kill to renew the data plan subscription on our smart phones to 'keep in touch', but rarely if ever use said instrument to find out how our loved one's day has been.

The love debate will forever rage on, some say it is a matter of choice, some say it is infatuation while others really believe that it does exists and is very real even in today's materialistic, sex-driven world.

Valentine's Day is approaching and I'm sure that already some couples are having anxiety attacks about what to do, where to go and the gifts to buy. I can also hear the rumblings among the desperate and single who are going to need medication to make it through the day as they see lovers strutting by. Be of good courage and remain calm. It is only one day, focus on what is really important try showing it by giving of self as opposed to doing and saying meaningless things.

I know it may seem hard, but love is the only answer, so love your fellow man, love your country, love your family and most importantly love yourself. Have a great weekend folks. I'll see you all next week. You can follow me on Twitter until then.

@ElvaJamaica. Email me your comments elvachatalot@yahoo.com

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