Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Love is.....


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 Valentines 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 Russias 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 havent had a single quarrel. Weve been parted for so long and who knows how much is left for us, so we just dont want to lose time on arguing.

Isnt 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



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