Valentine’s Day – with chubby cherubs awash in hearts, clutching bows n’ arrows, sporting disconcertingly toothy grins — is an ancient holiday.
I looked up the guy. Turns out the Roman Emperor, Claudius II, arrested Mr. Valentine for professing Christianity, but while personally interrogating him the Supreme Ruler was struck by his prisoner’s intelligence and wit. Here was a really interesting fellow, willing to argue with his Royal Self without being obsequious. This was huge. Claudius must have been starved for someone to just chew the fat with. (Folks close to the emperor would always agree with whatever Claudius thought or decided - about anything. Fear of his unlimited power made for boringly agreeable colleagues.)
Valentine refused to renounce his faith, but tried instead to convert Claudius to Christianity. The nerve! His chutzpah fascinated the emperor. After a vigorous discussion and debate lasting some hours neither man would be moved, so, annoyed and frustrated, and mainly for political reasons, Claudius reluctantly had him ‘arrowed.’ Before he was executed, though, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, whom he’d supposedly healed during his imprisonment. He wrote her a love note, signing it “your Valentine ❤.” Therein were sewn the seeds of a massive hearts n’ flowers industry that took root eighteen centuries later in Victorian England. Perennially popular, it’s blooming still, everywhere.
Mulling all this over, I thought I’d review what I love to love.
(Nearly a decade ago I was nearly killed by a three-quarter ton pickup truck. I’d been flattened in a blink, and then, incredibly, I was back. Many months later, when I’d mostly reassembled myself, I fell in love all over again with life and all its delights, and yeah, even its disasters.)
Each day is Valentine’s Day, for me. I love big trees, small gardens, silky fringe, and Pittsburgh-style steaks. Weeds delight me, and chipmunks, and hot water bottles, and bag balm and bananas and bees and Joe and my children, and my home, and my sister, and Mom’s nicely seasoned black iron skillet, and fresh, aromatic coffee strong enough to trot a mouse on, and spider webs’ intricate designs. I love books, doors, a pillar’s curves, a rich turn of musical phrase, griffin toenails, the soft riffle of fabric, and oh, so much more. Truth to tell, I loved it all before, but my own personal Big Bang has certainly rebooted my appreciation for embracing now. This minute.
It’s all we have, really.
Life is good. It is simply good so much of the time. When bad times intrude they have the peculiar knack of making good times even more appreciated.
Oh - and I love the letters I get from you, readers. Every one. I love that you buy my book and laugh reading it. I love to add pony poop to my flowerbeds, then watch plants take heart from its peculiar power to elevate them…(I know, I know; my truck-adjusted brain frequently bounces around like this. Resistance is futile...)
Hmmm. I guess I’ll offer this valentine column to Life, with all its valuable, awful, lovely, eerie, nonsensical, titillating, interesting, naughty, exciting turns. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, and thanks for the trip, so far. It’s rarely been boring.
Bewhiskered Emma-dog’s beautiful brown eyes, fringed with golden lashes, inspired My Funny Valentine. She knows all about love. Those lyrics just popped into my head as I was sifting through my piles of loved sheet music, so I sang it.** (Earphones are Dee-rigueur.)
And, Happy Valentine’s Day ❤ to you, faithful readers. Indulge in a chocolate-covered cherry and give a lusty cheer –
because you’re here!
** To hear the song, click the forward button once to get to the 2nd song in the site's main player, located at bottom left.
I looked up the guy. Turns out the Roman Emperor, Claudius II, arrested Mr. Valentine for professing Christianity, but while personally interrogating him the Supreme Ruler was struck by his prisoner’s intelligence and wit. Here was a really interesting fellow, willing to argue with his Royal Self without being obsequious. This was huge. Claudius must have been starved for someone to just chew the fat with. (Folks close to the emperor would always agree with whatever Claudius thought or decided - about anything. Fear of his unlimited power made for boringly agreeable colleagues.)
Valentine refused to renounce his faith, but tried instead to convert Claudius to Christianity. The nerve! His chutzpah fascinated the emperor. After a vigorous discussion and debate lasting some hours neither man would be moved, so, annoyed and frustrated, and mainly for political reasons, Claudius reluctantly had him ‘arrowed.’ Before he was executed, though, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, whom he’d supposedly healed during his imprisonment. He wrote her a love note, signing it “your Valentine ❤.” Therein were sewn the seeds of a massive hearts n’ flowers industry that took root eighteen centuries later in Victorian England. Perennially popular, it’s blooming still, everywhere.
Mulling all this over, I thought I’d review what I love to love.
(Nearly a decade ago I was nearly killed by a three-quarter ton pickup truck. I’d been flattened in a blink, and then, incredibly, I was back. Many months later, when I’d mostly reassembled myself, I fell in love all over again with life and all its delights, and yeah, even its disasters.)
Each day is Valentine’s Day, for me. I love big trees, small gardens, silky fringe, and Pittsburgh-style steaks. Weeds delight me, and chipmunks, and hot water bottles, and bag balm and bananas and bees and Joe and my children, and my home, and my sister, and Mom’s nicely seasoned black iron skillet, and fresh, aromatic coffee strong enough to trot a mouse on, and spider webs’ intricate designs. I love books, doors, a pillar’s curves, a rich turn of musical phrase, griffin toenails, the soft riffle of fabric, and oh, so much more. Truth to tell, I loved it all before, but my own personal Big Bang has certainly rebooted my appreciation for embracing now. This minute.
It’s all we have, really.
Life is good. It is simply good so much of the time. When bad times intrude they have the peculiar knack of making good times even more appreciated.
Oh - and I love the letters I get from you, readers. Every one. I love that you buy my book and laugh reading it. I love to add pony poop to my flowerbeds, then watch plants take heart from its peculiar power to elevate them…(I know, I know; my truck-adjusted brain frequently bounces around like this. Resistance is futile...)
Hmmm. I guess I’ll offer this valentine column to Life, with all its valuable, awful, lovely, eerie, nonsensical, titillating, interesting, naughty, exciting turns. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, and thanks for the trip, so far. It’s rarely been boring.
Bewhiskered Emma-dog’s beautiful brown eyes, fringed with golden lashes, inspired My Funny Valentine. She knows all about love. Those lyrics just popped into my head as I was sifting through my piles of loved sheet music, so I sang it.** (Earphones are Dee-rigueur.)
And, Happy Valentine’s Day ❤ to you, faithful readers. Indulge in a chocolate-covered cherry and give a lusty cheer –
because you’re here!
** To hear the song, click the forward button once to get to the 2nd song in the site's main player, located at bottom left.