The way they said "I love you"

Love ruled the world on Saturday as Valentine's Day enveloped the world in love. In Sri Lanka, there were jewellery, cakes and chocolates. The special dinners and the gifts were all ways in which both the young and the old tried to show their love. But yet the simplest way of showing love, by way of a kiss, was pushed to the backseat as Valentine became a huge commercial event. However many couples in Sri Lanka chose to marry on this day, while  others who found that saying I love you this way was too expensive, merely spent time together on the beach and at Galle Face Green.

We have said 'good bye' to a wonderful day, a day devoted to love. In today's world, filled with turmoil and conflict, few people have realised the wonder of love. What we have failed to realise is that life is about love and relationships and not about money and business and work.

Here are some stories from other parts of the world which tells us about different ways in which people proposed love and marriage, starting with Ramona Morgan.

"Eddie proposed to me on Thanksgiving Day 2002. The morning started like any other morning with us sitting by the fire, reading the paper and sipping coffee. I went upstairs to get some laundry and heard Eddie yell to me that Moulin Rouge was on. It's our favorite movie. So I ran downstairs started singing with the musical as I always do. About a half-hour into the film, Christian (Ewan McGregor) and Sateen (Nicole Kidman) sing a duet called Elephant Love Song. As they performed it, Eddie's face came on the screen, replacing Christian's, and Eddie finished the Love Song. He then proposed to me from the screen!

"A beautiful song, and most of all a beautiful proposal. I was so shocked I didn't say 'yes' for 10 minutes. A week before, Eddie had gone to a television editor and had his face and voice edited into the movie. I found out later that when I went upstairs he popped the videotape in the VCR, and all along I thought I was watching HBO. It was the most romantic, thoughtful thing he has ever done for me, and the best part is I can watch this special moment for years and years to come."

How love came into  Jose Bacallo's life: 

"My girlfriend and I both loved the sea. I chartered a party boat and took her diving on the coast of California. Once under water, I pulled out a waterproof chalkboard and wrote 'Will you marry me?' She began to breathe excitedly. I was afraid that she would not be able to swim safely back to the surface. I took her hand and lead her to fresh air. Removing her mask and scuba gear, she replied 'Yes! Yes! Yes!' Back on board the party boat, we toasted our engagement with friends and family by our side. We now have a daughter and will celebrate our first Christmas as a family."

For  Craig A. Thompson, it was different: "Diane is fond of the Mecom Fountain, near Houston's Warwick Hotel. It reminds her of London. Her favourite restaurant is Anthony's. That's all I needed to know. I asked her to free up two days for us. I said she would need her passport.  I picked Diane up in a limousine. I told her we would be 'in the air' soon. We were. At Spindletop, a rotating restaurant.

"Then I told Diane we were headed to Italy. We went to Anthony's for dinner. At the table, I gave her diamond earrings. Back in the limo, I said we were headed to London. At the Mecom Fountain, we got out, and I took some coins out of my pocket. I said, 'I'm going to throw them into the fountain and make a wish.' On bended knee I asked... 'Diane, ...Will you marry me?' She said 'Yes.' Her reaction was really beautiful... We stayed at the Warwick Hotel, enjoying champagne and strawberries dipped in chocolate. The next morning, we had breakfast in bed and began the rest of our lives together." he said.

Hayward Franks has this story to relate. "In a lifetime we all have encounters and even sometimes relationships with people we really care about but few of us acquire the ability to hold out for our real 'soul mate.' Well, after being single for 17 years I've finally found mine!

"Over the years, I had a close call or two but there was always something missing! A couple of years ago, after another flawed relationship, I decided to do a little catching up. At age 40 a computer looked pretty complicated and the thought of meeting someone on a machine felt pretty darn foolish. But after looking at a site or two and seeing how many people were in the same boat as me it didn't feel so strange any more!

"One night, on a personals site, I saw a face I knew I could look at forever! The problem was, she lived 130 miles away. I thought I'd never hear back from her, but I was wrong.

"After a few months of e-mails, phone calls and every weekend together, I knew I wanted to propose to my girlfriend. Then we went to dinner. Afterward we drove around, then parked. We talked about our feelings, then I got out of the car. I opened her door and asked if she was certain about what she felt for me.

"She replied, 'I love you with all my heart.' She threw her arms around me, and that's when she saw it! I was parked beneath a 12'x24' billboard sign when I asked her to be my wife! She screamed and started to cry and yelled, 'Yes,' 'Yes,' 'Yes'....... I then took a knee and handed her a ring with tears of joy in both our eyes!"