Love and truth.

During the Middle Ages, it was believed that birds paired in mid-February. This was then associated with the romance of Valentine. The legends differ of course but Valentine’s day is ultimately recognized as a day for romance and devotion.

I’ve always loved Valentine’s day. Not the commercialism or the announcing of your wild love once a year. I know there is a million snide remarks that could be made. I think love should be openly voiced all year long of course…and not just romantic love but all forms. However, on that note, I think the world needs a heck of a lot more romance….or maybe devotion is the key part. It’s easy to fall in love isn’t it? But keeping romance alive, that is the trick. And then there is Valentine himself….a Saint dedicated to love. Think about that for a moment.

It’s hard to get a clear picture of the actual story behind Saint Valentine. The details were not carefully recorded, or maybe they were carefully left out. It seems Saint Valentine was a Roman priest who rebelliously continued to secretly perform marriages after Emperor Claudius II had banned them. For this he was imprisoned and sentenced to death. He fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, and on the day he was beheaded he sent her a note. It was signed “from your Valentine” on February the 14th. And so it began.

So for those who among us who cynically complain about a little bit of chocolate once a year…let’s not lose our heads. Apparently St Valentine’s skull, wearing a coronet made from flowers, now resides in the Chiesa di Santa Maria in Cosmedin, on Rome’s Piazza Bocca della Verità. I was there years ago launching my arm fearlessly into that giant mouth of truth. I had no idea dear Valentine was so close by. Bless him.