Say Hello to Heaven

It was made apparent to me today, that soon and very soon, my least favorite holiday will be upon us. Thankfully I live in a small sleepy town like Vermilion where holidays are not celebrated with as much fan fare and corporate support as they are in larger cities. The holiday I speak of, is of course Valentines Day. Before I get too far into this update I would like to share a poem that a friend of mine wrote on Valentines Day, 3 years ago. I think it sums up my general experience of the holiday over the years.

"break my heart
its just a day
with everything
you do and say
to much to ask
your heart for mine
i'll never be
your valentine."

Isn’t that a lovely sentiment? Now I’m not going to give you the usual, “I Hate Valentines Day” Speech, cause I don’t feel like being bitter, because that’s what the Valentines people want. They want people who don’t have a Valentine to feel like crap, so I refuse to do it. Why should I let other people make me feel like crap because I don’t have a girlfriend on this one particular day more so then the rest of the time. Besides, I do a good enough job of that myself. So, this Valentines day, I am releasing all my bitterness towards the romantic holiday, and will instead celebrate it by sending Valentines to my various friends, family, missionaries, and other such people. I’m going to get in to the holiday spirit (to an extent), who knows, God might even reward me with a date for being such a good sport! Although, I’m not doing this so that everyone will think I am so pious in regards to Valentines, I’m not doing this because I actually think that God will send my some beautiful girl, but I’m doing this because I am sick of being the immature, bitter, whiner who sits around on Valentines day and tries to make people who do have significant others feel like crap for having on and enjoying this day. It’s time for me to grow up in this regard, and now I shall. (to be honest, I used to regard Valentines day as more evil, and more connected with Satan’s work then Halloween!)

To show my good intentions towards Valentines Day, I will post now, the history of St. Valentines Day. (note, there are many opinions and beliefs on the origination of this holiday, this is just one of them!)

“Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.”

So, that’s it, I hope you enjoyed this brief and unsubstantiated history lesson with Professor Mike. Today’s song of the day is a good one. It hearkens back to a time in my life when I was busy trying to get over a girl that I really liked. I listened to this song, and looking back it wasn’t the smartest song to listen to seeing as it said over and over “I miss you” and talking about how I needed to “tell you what a state I’m in” and so on, but I listened to it anyway. Sometimes songs just get associated with times in your life and this is one of those. “Warning Sign” by Coldplay is the song to which I have been referring. It’s an amazing song, actually my favorite Coldplay song of all time. I listened to it today on my way to Lloydminster, (actually I listened to the whole CD, but between going to Lloyd and coming back I got to hear that particular song twice) and it took me back, it was a bittersweet memory and a bittersweet song. (props to bittersweet symphony) So if you have the means and or the desire, I encourage you to allow your ear drums to process the reverberations that this song will cause.
Love you all, Happy Valentines Day (I know it’s early, but we were on the subject, stop criticizing me and just appreciate the sentiment!)