Happy Valentine's Day to Me!

Valentine’s Day…for some of us, this day is a reason to exchange cards, flowers and candy. Common symbols of Valentine’s Day are hearts, red and pink roses, candy and Cupid. Though historically, it’s the Feast of Saint Valentinus. The Catholic Church acknowledges three versions as to how he became associated with this ancient rite:

1.Emperor Claudius II outlawed young men to marry to be better soldiers. Valentine, a priest, realized the unfairness and continued to perform marriages.

2.Valentine advocated in helping Christians escape the abrasive states of Roman prisons.

3.Valentine sent his first “valentine” greeting when he was imprisoned. It is suspected his love could have possibly been his jailor’s daughter.

Valentine greetings go as far back as the Middle Ages. The oldest known valentine is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415. In the early 1700s, Americans began the exchange of hand-made valentines, then commercial cards became accessible in the mid-19thcentury.

Now that’s just a gist of history. Basically, Valentine’s Day equals Love - at least the concept of Love. The concept of Love means a variety of things for different people – it comes in all shapes and sizes:

- happy

- flirtatious

- confused

- sad

- hurt

- alone

- complete

Due to the over-commercialization of Valentine’s Day, we automatically direct Love to someone else. Remember, that’s not a rule. It’s essential to take time for yourself and treat yourself with Love – love yourself and appreciate the wonderful person you are!

How? Give yourself a Valentine card – write yourself a love note: “What are the things you love about your life?” or “What are the things in your life that make you happy?”