All around the
world people are celebrating Valentine's Day with gifts and going to any extent
to prove their undying love towards their partner. For some, today is all about
red roses, cupids and hearts, however, for others the mere thought of the
customary onslaught of romance sends them into a cold sweat. Statistics say that one billion cards are
sent on Valentine’s Day each
year, and whether you love it or loathe it, February 14th continues to be a key
date in the diary.
In honour of St Valentine
I wanted to share one of the most remarkable love stories, originally published
in The Telegraph in January 2008....
Just 3 days
after Boris and Anna Koslov married in 1946 they had to say goodbye to one
another. Boris was a soldier in Russia’s Red Army and had to return to his military
unit. Anna stayed and patiently waited for Boris to come back to her.
Sadly this was not meant to be. Under Stalin's brutal regime, Anna and her family had been declared enemies
of the state and were sent into exile in Siberia. Anna threatened to commit
suicide rather than go, as she couldn't bear the idea of living without Boris
by her side. But she was forced to go and had no chance to contact her husband.
When Boris
returned home from his military expedition, he found the house empty. Anna was
gone and there was no trace of her.
Boris spent years searching for Anna, but never found her. Over the years, both
Boris and Anna remarried other people, and had children. But they never forgot
about one another. Boris became a writer
and when he wrote his first book, he dedicated it to Anna.
As the years went by, Boris and Anna’s
respective spouses passed away. In 2007, Anna, decided to go back to her
original home village to visit the house she and Boris lived in after their
wedding. Now an elderly woman, she had never forgotten about that magical time
with the love of her life.
In a remarkable twist of fate, the town received another long-lost visitor on
that very same day – an 80-year-old man who had come to lay flowers at his
parents’ gravestone. Stepping
out of his car, he spotted a familiar face across the road - Anna's. He
approached her and they recognised each other. All the feelings that were once
there between them came back. The time had done nothing to destroy the bond
they had and they fell in love with each other all over again.
Despite 60 years passing, Anna and Boris got
married again. "Since we found each other again, I swear we haven’t had a single quarrel. We’ve been parted for so long and who knows how
much is left for us, so we just don’t
want to lose time on arguing.”
Isn’t that just amazing?
In Finland, Valentine's Day is called "Ystävänpäivä" which translates into "Friend's
day"....a day more about remembering your
friends, not only your loved ones.
So..... "Happy
Friend's Day!". I hope this week is
good to you all.
Much love
Cat ♥
