“I celebrate Valentine’s Day because I became very good friends with the most hated person in my class,” she said.

Chiara is in her late 30s, and she is the sister to a friend whom I had the privilege to chat with online the other day. She said ‘If you would like to have an inspiring story, then I can connect you with my sister.’ Of course, I couldn’t leave such an opportunity pass by. That’s how I got to connect with Chiara.

The story today is an inspiring love story and hope you enjoy it.

“I was new in the school. I was such a timid girl who respected others. My dad was in the military and so I was always changing schools each time he gets transferred to a new town”

School bullying is a systemic problem that can affect your child’s education and self-esteem. Many children who have been exposed to bullying often suffer from poor performance in school in addition to other psychological tendencies such as anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances.

On the other hand, the bullies themselves have a higher risk of getting into a lot of issues that can affect them throughout adulthood. It could range from violence to drugs and/or substance abuse.

Chiara said “there was this guy in my class who thinks he is the most powerful person in the whole school. He approached me during lunchbreak and just helped himself to my drink. I couldn’t understand anything only to discover he was also eating my lunch and smiling.”

Bullies find pleasure when they see others in pains. That may be one of the reasons they inflict pains on others – so that they can be happy. They usually smile after confronting or inflicting pain on their victims.

“Since that day, I hated him. I didn’t ever speak to him. He was the most dreaded guy in school.”

At times, the only way people can protect themselves from bullying is by avoidance. When you know someone is trouble, the best thing you can do for yourself is to keep away which is what Chiara did.

Read also a recommended life story from Nayella

“My School usually have blind Valentine’s Day gift parties”.

“Each class will organise Valentine’s Day gift sharing a month in advance. Each student will anonymously pick a name written on a piece of paper,” Chiara said.

“The chosen person automatically becomes your ‘Valentine’ and you will have to get a gift for him/her,” she continued.

“And there it was…I picked his name. You had to keep it secret until Valentine’s Day itself”.

“I bought him a Bible because I thought it was the only thing that could help him understand love a little deeper.”

Love should be celebrated in everything we do by showing emotion, affection, pleasure and devotion which is the love for mankind.

“You were obliged to hug your ‘Valentine’ after offering the gift. And I couldn’t do otherwise but to think that my gift will help him.”

“So I gave him a warm hug so he could understand that even after what he did to me, I still had a place of forgiveness in my heart for him.”

“I don’t know, but I had a certain feeling in me after hugging him. A feeling I didn’t understand until now. How could I have a feeling such as this for him [someone who treated me so badly?], I asked myself. “

“Then it came to his turn. Everybody was waiting for him to call his ‘Valentine’ because no one was even expecting anything good from him as a bully.”

“He stood up and spoke for long. To the shock of everyone, he apologised and asked all to forgive him for the difficulties and intimidations.”

“The most shocking part was when he called me up and apologised to me. He said he had never felt the same since meeting me.”

“Then he removed his gift and announced that I was his ‘Valentine’.

“It was a lovely bracelet which I still keep until today”.

“That’s how we got hooked. We started working together in class and his grades improved and in addition to his general behaviour.”

“Eventually, we got married 5 years afterwards.”

“That’s why I celebrate ‘Valentine’s Day. I celebrate love because it changed the life of my husband”.

“We’re a happy couple now married for 5 years”.