Typically, I hate Valentine's Day. Most people don't even know the true meaning behind the day. Let me give you a little history lesson... Well, I'm gonna copy and paste something I found online...
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. 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, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and--most importantly--romantic figure.
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, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl--possibly his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and--most importantly--romantic figure.
With that being said, Valentine's Day is really about love enduring torture and imprisonment. And let's be honest, that's a REAL relationship, isn't it?
Just kidding.
However, I have never needed a particular day to tell someone I love them. I tell them every day. Valentine's Day, like most holidays, has become about gifts. We have a NO GIFTS rule on days like this. We have financial goals, and buying flowers (that will die), candy (that will make you fat), or any other trivial gift is a waste of money. Cards don't count, because some of them are hilarious and they're 2 for $1.
I will say, in the "spirit of Valentine's Day," that Brandon is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I can't imagine my life without him. Tonight, I imagine we'll get sweaty (AT THE GYM, sickos...), maybe get a Redbox movie, and find something to make for dinner. There's nothing special for us today. It's just a Thursday, and another day we get to spend together, grateful to have each other.
Every day is like this. It's all about how you choose to tell your spouse you love and appreciate them. One day a year? Or every day?
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