February 14th, 2010

Valentine's Day: one of the most loved, loathed and odd holidays we have.  Who makes the symbol for a holiday a cubby baby wearing a diaper and toting dangerous weaponry?  If the gift is in the thought, why do we have to pay four times as much for the gift or flowers?

I am reminded each year on February 14th that love does matter.  It matters to us all.  Love calls some to be pious, others to bear arms.  It binds and connects friends and families, both related and chosen types.  It can create deep meaning in work or passion in play.  Love instills so many of us with purpose and place.  It is an intangible quality that artists, authors, poets and romantics search for endlessly.  Love is epitomized and capitalized on in films and mass media.  It spans countries, cultures, genders and age.   

Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for the love in my life.  I find meaning in the relationships that provide it, a sense of purpose and honor because of it.  I tell those I love that I do frequently and proudly.  I believe we all need love and it makes life all the more sweet.  The birth of my Molly confirmed for me that love is something bigger than ourselves.  For the love in my life, I am grateful!

So, what does Valentine's Day mean to you?  Are you a cynical party-pooper or a champion of love in it's many forms?  Do you whoop it up with your friends or embrace your family?  Do you light the passionate flame of love and romance with your Valentine?  However you feel about the holiday, I hope your life was filled with the spirit of it in abundance.

"Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine!" ~Thomas Hood