For this was on seynt Volantynys day, Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.

Thanks, Geoff.  I'll take it from here...




 I am not a fan of Valentine's Day; let's just put that out there.  More specifically, I am not a fan of what Valentine's Day has become.  Not that it was ever a real holiday to begin with.  There is no record of any reason for it, and in fact the Catholic Church removed it from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints back in 1969.  Nowadays it is a Hallmark holiday that serves the sole purpose of driving business for the greeting card, candy, and flower makers of the world.  It is designed to make men feel guilty and feel the need to spend money - whether or not they have it - to prove their love to their lady fair, and for women to feel that if they are NOT receiving such material affection, that somehow their lives are lessened by the absence.

That said, there is something nice about having a day that, at its core, is about love.  A day that allows even the hardest of hearts to say to someone "I love you,", and maybe give that special someone a token of your affection.  As a husband and parent, holidays take on a different meaning than when you are a young and wild Single Person.  You can't just shrug and say "meh" when they come along, because there are others expecting things.  CHildren especially love holidays where they get little presents or candy or special treats, and Valentine's Day is no different.  You know who else like's Valentine's Day, even when they won't admit it?  Wives.  There are some things I have learned (albeit slowly) in my almost-fourteen years of marriage.  Never forget or forget to acknowledge the following: your wife's birthday, your anniversary, Mother's Day (if you have children, and Valentine's Day.  Most other slips of memory or action can be forgiven in time; these ones will haunt you for years.

In a good marriage - or any relationship for that matter - both parties involved know what it takes to make the other happy most of the time.  That does not mean they always DO it, but they know.  For example, this year my wife and I went to a nice dinner without the kids the night before Valentine's Day and enjoyed each other's company for a few hours with good food and drink.  As a gift from me to her, I gave her her favorite flowers, two bottles of Malbec (a newly discovered favorite), and some dark chocolate from Godiva.  I made dinner Valentine's Day evening for the family and we all felt the love of family.  And my wife, knowing me as she does, gave me:

I'll bet you were wondering when I would get to the beer part, eh?