Love is at the heart of every good story.

This Valentine’s Day, let’s consider what we love most about all those stories that have stayed with us for years, sometimes a lifetime. You might notice they all have at least one thing in common…

Yes, Valentine’s Day is a made-up, commercialized holiday. Yet there’s no escaping it, unfortunately. And you’re more likely to see boxes of chocolate, plastic hearts, posts about engagements, and undernourished roses from the grocery store than not… so let’s just go with what Valentine’s Day should inspire, for now.

In the West, in primarily English-spe…