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Be His Valentine

Saint Valentines Day is an annual holiday held on February 14th of every year. It is a day to celebrate love between intimate companions. Valentines Day was established in 496 AD. Can you believe it has been around all this time? Pope Gelasius I created this holiday and named it after a martyr, Valentine. Hence the name Saint Valentines Day. Traditionally, it was a day to express love for one another by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending cards (“valentines”). The holiday first was associated with romantic love in the high middle ages in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer. During this time period courtly love was very popular. It was a medieval European conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. In most cases, courtly love was a secret of the members of nobility. Also, it was not usually practiced between husband and wife. Now, common symbols of this holiday are hearts, doves, and Cupid. And once handwritten valentines, now are factory made greeting cards. A lot has changed. What once began as a simple expression of love, is now a much different practice. Valentines Day is now a huge holiday for all industries, children, and more. What happened to the real Valentines Day? What happened to just expressing love to your lover?

Last year I decided that I wanted February 14th of each year to be very special. I no longer wanted to focus on spending a large amount of money to offer up the next best gift. Not anymore. Last year, I took the old fashioned route. I wanted to show my lover what the real Valentines Day is about. Everything that I did for him last year was by my own two hands. I cooked him a homemade, authentic Italian meal. It included pasta, bread, salad, and a chocolate truffle cake for dessert. I accompanied it with a cheap bottle of wine. I managed to make everything without him having a clue of what I was doing. I put red tulips on the table and beautiful tableware. I scattered chocolate kisses across his plate and his pillow in the bedroom. I spent a whole week planning all of this, and it turned out perfect. We spent the evening together, alone and loving each other. We ate good food and talked about our love for each other. We make a note to always remember how many times we have celebrated a holiday together. Last year was our second Valentines day. And our second is so our best so far. We did not focus on how much money we were spending, or what gift we were buying. We did what we always do, but we did it together, as lovers. Because after all that is what Valentines is. Or what it used to be. Just one day, every year, that we can just recognize who we love.

I think we live fast paced lives. New things and glamour are shadowing what is really important in life. We need to stop focusing on the I want part of ourselves and start focusing on who we have in our life. Focus on our life, not what we have in status or materials. Saint Valentines day is a wonderful way to start. Instead of changing this beautiful holiday into a day to get something, turn it into a day that you show your lover how much they mean to you. That is what I want for Valentines this year. Nothing but the expression of love.

I have not decided what we are doing this year yet. I have not ran to the store looking for something to buy. I know that as long as we are together the day will be its best. One day every year that I can remind him how much I love him. One day that I can express what he means to me. One more day that I can be his Valentine.