Happy Valentine’s Month!
You know as a Romance writer, I couldn’t let this month of February celebrating Valentine’s Day pass by without a few of my own comments! If you read my author’s bio, you’ll see that I love all things about love itself. I’m passionate about true love in every form, be it romantic, or love between friends or family or neighbors.
“We’re all a little weird, and life’s a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”
–Dr. Seuss
No one knows exactly where the roots of Valentine’s Day stem from. Some scholars claim it originated from the Roman fertility holiday “Lupercalia” celebrated on February 15th. Others claim is was named from a few different Christian martyrs in the 5th century.
One of these legends comes from a written account of a priest who was imprisoned for performing secret weddings for Roman soldiers who were forbidden to marry (all Roman soldiers were to remain single while they were in service to the Empire).
Another legend claims a priest named Valentine was imprisoned by the Romans for illegally ministering and proclaiming the gospel of God’s love. During his imprisonment, he restored the eyesight to the blind daughter of his judge. He then fell in love with her, and before his execution sent her a goodbye letter signed “Your Valentine.”
The various legends and rituals go on and on, of course. The main point, I believe, is to take this one day as a reminder of the main thing in life that we all need more than air itself—love. We are a sad, lonely island without some form of it in our lives.
So take this day and celebrate it in a way that makes you happy. Send a card or text or a rose to someone, anyone, you love. Call and talk and laugh with your best friend. Buy lunch for a son or daughter or mother-in-law. Help a neighbor in need.
You can never go wrong with sending love out into the world in any form. It’s a boomerang that will always, always return to you. Maybe in ways you never even expected.
With all my love,
Addison Carmichael
