Until the last rose fades

It’s either that happy day we look forward to in February or the most dreaded day of the year. Whether we love it or hate it, it shows up regardless.

Valentine’s Day is many things to many people. Some have terrific memories of elementary school and spending several nights in a row around the kitchen table, filling out little paper Valentines. Don’t forget to add a few candy hearts inside the little envelope! That was always the most difficult. You had to choose wisely or Tommy, Joey or Michael might think you actually liked them. EEEWWWWW!

I happen to love Valentine’s Day. I was engaged on February 14, 1979 and have great memories of dinners, flowers and chocolates. When My Three Sons were of school age, once again I found myself helping them fill out their Valentine’s. Not much had changed in the way things were done since I had been in school. They still worried over what to give to the opposite sex. So much fun with the school parties and cupcakes and games.

Since I don’t have a hilarious true story to  share of a disastrous Valentine’s Day in the Elkins household, I thought I would share some senseless facts. There was that Valentine’s Day that The Sweetheart sent me this in a text message:

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, lived a wife that never nagged, whined or complained.

But it was a long, long time ago.  And it was just that one day.

Yeah. But I love him anyway. This one day a year.

• Valentine’s Day’s most popular theory originates with Emperor Claudius II.  Supposedly, he didn’t want Roman men to marry during times of war but Bishop Valentine didn’t honor his wishes and performed secret weddings for those who were in love. Unfortunately, Valentine was jailed and then executed. But before he died he wrote a note to the jailor’s daughter and signed it “from your Valentine”.

• Some believe that the X symbol became associated with the KISS way back in medieval times. If you couldn’t write your name you would sign in front of a witness with just an X which was then kissed to show commitment and sincerity!

• Another one from the Middle Ages tells us that young men and women would draw names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. Yeah, that would happen today. They would wear the name pinned to their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. From this comes the expression, “To wear your heart on your sleeve”!

• Did you know that 15% of women in the United States send themselves flowers on February 14?

• Approximately 8 billion (that’s with a B) candy hearts are made each year for Valentine’s Day. That is enough candy to be stretched 20 times from Italy to Arizona back and forth!

I will leave you with this true story from someone I met this week. One year he gave his wife a dozen of the most beautiful roses that looked as normal as any other bouquet. But tucked in the middle was a single, artificial rose that blended in with the rest. His note?

I will love you til the last rose in the bouquet fades completely away and dies.

Which reminds me of the year that The Sweetheart left me with a forever memory. Our wedding colors were yellow so every single year for 37 years he has never failed to send me a dozen yellow roses, even when we were overseas! One year we were ministering in Chattanooga over the Valentine weekend and he left our hotel early that morning to “go get breakfast”. He was gone over an hour and finally came back looking quite sad. He had been all over town looking for yellow roses and couldn’t find any. As a last resort, he went to Wal Mart where he bought an artificial bouquet of yellow roses. Yeah. Teary eyed, I have treasured those more than any I ever received and of course they are the only ones I still have that look as good as the day I received them.

However you celebrate today, tell someone you love them, hug your kids, your pets, your parents and your sweethearts. Everyone can benefit from sharing love!