2006-02-14 - 2:21 p.m.
Valentines day.
It seems that being anti-valentines day is the cool thing this year. I guess I�m OK with that, maybe the big retailers will sell a few less ballons and candy hearts and maybe we can reign in the rampant commercialism that pervades all holidays now. Does anyone remember that it is �Saint� Valentines day? Not to be preachy but it was kind of a religious thing�So is Easter, Saint Patrick�s day, Mardi Grais�
Like Christmas, I�d like to see all these holidays taken off the secular calendars of the world and replaced by good secular equivalents, I don�t know, call it mid summer and mid winter and maybe the international day of romance�
Don�t worry, I�m not holding my breath.
So for Saint Valentine�s day this year, I want to honor my love, my Valentine.
Understanding is the gift of true love. Having someone who understands you completely is the most wonderful thing, the most comforting thing I can think of. More than that, someone who understands you, and knows who you are completely, and loves you anyway�
My wife is my Love and my Valentine. She knows and understands me completely, and she Loves me anyway.
I�m sitting on my deck, the sun is warm on my face and my dogs are sleeping at my feet. Last year about this time my wife and I laid a blanket down on the deck on a day just like this and took a long afternoon nap.
That memory is my Valentines gift this year, both to receive and to give. It�s a simple gift, but I think it�s better than a card or a candy heart.
-Justus
