THE saying goes that “a love affair is like gardening”. Great care and patience are needed to grow a plant. Likewise, those same things are necessary to grow the tree of love. If we don’t give proper care to a new plant, it can wither and die. If we don’t look after love properly, it will do the same.

Naturally, there will be misunderstandings and arguments between lovers. If these small problems are ignored, they can grow bigger and love can be spoilt. Sometimes things we don’t take seriously can take on more importance between lovers.

“If lovers don’t take care of their love for a long time, their relationship can get boring so they always need to make their love new by using various ways.

That’s a kind of warning to our sweethearts that we still love them and want to take care of them” Ko Kyaw Mg Mg, a 25-year-old private teacher said.

Ma Nwe Nwe Yin, a University graduate said that it’s not enough just to love in our hearts, we need to express it. “If your lover doesn’t know how much you love him, it’s not enough. I don’t think that is showing off your love,” she said.

“As a romantic activity, my boyfriend and I exchange poems we like and write poems for each other because we love poems and we can share love and understanding through them.”

System Engineer Ko Sai Okkar Kyaw used to think lovers going around hand in hand was just crazy. “I thought if you love someone, you both know it, so you don’t need to let others see it. But when I finally fell in love with a girl, my opinion completely changed. I came to accept that loving kindness needs to be shown. If you ignore your special day, it will be as if you are absent in the final examination in spite of working hard throughout the academic year,” he said.

“One of my special memories is what we did on our special day. We listened together to our favourite songs, When You Love Someone by Bryan Adams and You’re Still the One by Shania Twain _ the songs flowed into our hearts deeply and tenderly.”

Ko Kyaw Mg Mg revealed his first experience of buying a present for his girlfriend.

“My sweetheart likes red roses very much so on our special day, I decided to give her a red rose. I went to the Hledan Bazaar early in the morning. At first, I felt embarrassed. Fortunately, one of the flower sellers noticed me and called out to me and asked if I wanted roses. I bought one and asked her to pack it.

Then I put it in my bags and went to school. My heart was beating so fast - I have never experienced such a feeling. When I met her at school, I asked her how she would like to celebrate our day. She said ‘it’s up to you’ with a sad smile. When I surprised her with roses, she looked really excited and then she was all smiles”.

Ma Thandar Aung, a hotel receptionist, said that not only love between lovers but also love between parents, friends and siblings needed to be recognised.

“In my family we go on a picnic or give presents each other on special occasions like our parents’ marriage anniversaries or birthdays. By doing that, our family members are more united,” she said.

Love, they say, makes the world go round. When it is lost, nothing can take its place. We needn’t do big things to prove our love. A red rose or a card can mean a lot. Why not give it a try?