From the Editor's Desk
St. Valentine is alright by me
Arthur McLean
I'll admit I've been a little tough on old St. Valentine over the past few years. And, truth be told, the vitriol was misplaced. After all, there's so little known about St. Valentine or the other martyrs bearing the same or similar name.

But do we really need to have had a real Valentine to fall back upon to celebrate love? No, we don't.

Those of us who have found someone with whom to share that special, deep and abiding affection have all the reason we need to celebrate, whether that's on February 14th or any day.

But here we are, surrounded by heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, stuffed bears of all sizes and more. And we're gonna go for it all. Why? Because love is the root of it. We wind up doing things others might never consider. We spend, we risk, we dare. And it's to please the one we love, to make them happy, to remind that special person that they are indeed special to us.

And at the beginning of this time of year, things, as usual, are a little different for me. Waiting in a foyer before a meeting, I look down and see a magazine cover. On it, a couple looking out from the glossy page. They're not yukking up, running along the beach or riding mountain bikes with big stupid grins on their faces or any of that other stuff we see on those trite commercials. They're just looking out of the page, and it seems there's a deep sense of earned contentedness on their faces, a look of connection, like they're ready to face the world together. There was a realness to it. Something genuine.

Printed around them are the usual magazine blurbs about that you'd find. They read something about nurturing the soul and so on.

And I think, hey, that's going to be me soon! A wave of sentimentality washes over me and I can't wait to finish the business at hand so I can call my loved one and tell her how I feel.

More than candy boxes or stuffed bears, it's that realness, that nurturing of each other's souls that hits me where it counts. And that's the real spirit of Valentine's Day.

Sadly, I'm not a very good romantic, but I'm trying, and with practice, I hope to get better. But if you're like me, don't worry about trying to be too clever, just come out and say what you feel. We all march to different drummers but if you feel it, let it out however you can. You'll be glad you did.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
Frances Nichols passes at 91	1
Bryant is a contestant in Ms. Senior Alabama Pageant	1
Dunagans to celebrate golden anniversary	1