Hey Dan

I wonder why no one is screaming to keep the Saint in Valentines Day?

It is Saint Valentines Day. While you may be expecting a sappy sweet post about how much I love my wife, you will have to wait a dozen lines.

First I am going to tell you about my feeling about this the only holiday I have openly dreaded. First the obvious, being single during mid-February is not much of a joy. The world seems to muck you at every turn. The second is having a Valentine is not all that much better. I remember the first year I was actually dating someone on the 14th of February. The pressure of having to think up, plan and execute a unique and touching way to say something I was really bad at saying without time crunch was a total disaster. The result of that night made me wish I was single just for that night.

The holiday was once a day to foster new love. The Roman picked Valentines by lottery and the man had a week to court the woman. In that time people helped him alone by giving him advice or introducing him to the young lady. While the whole lottery idea sounds like a recipe for disaster and insecurity, I like the idea of a holiday to help men be better romantics.

So here is my theory, from now on lets make Valentines Day a day where we try to foster love, not celebrate it. Think about it, we could help each other out. I know how to say things from the heart. Like those people who wrap presents at store during Christmas, I could help guys sign Valentines Day Cards. Someone out there knows how to plan a romantic evening, boy I could use their help. It would be great.

Let’s return the spirit back to in Saint Valentines Day. Like Chauce wrote in Parliament of Foules:

For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.

Chauce never could spell…. Now about my wife…

I married for Love and got so much more. Strength is her gift to me everyday, she is a fearsome woman. She lives as if it were a sport. Like people who run for the love of running. She gets out of bed in the morning for the love of being alive. Her laughter decorates my world. I could listen to her laugh forever. It is warn and soft. Just thinking of it makes me weepy. Beauty radiates from her. It is contagious. As she walks though her day everything she touches is a little better. This is my wife, and she ended up with me.

BTW… before you think “he so sweet” you should know that tonight we are celebrating Saint Valentines Day with something impromptu after I get out of class about 8:30pm... Sometime she is too good for me.