Happy Valentine's Day!

Today a reflection on February 14th, Valentine’s Day!

“Cause love is What I Got….”

"You know love is a funny thing?"

Today in nearly every Pre School, Kindergarten, and Elementary School across the country, the young children of America will swap Valentine cards with their classmates.

I remember when I was young and Valentine’s Day was an official in school holiday.

The night before I would sit at the kitchen table with my mother going through a theme box of Valentine’s Day cards, picking out my favorites for my best friends.

It seemed each year there would be a special someone of the female persuasion that I would seek to express my forever burning passions for. Searching for that perfect little soul mate to share my time and experiences in fort building, finding rocks, catching crawdads, building bike trails, and maybe from time to time when no one was looking to sneak an occasional kiss. You know love is a funny thing?

Valentine’s Day provides schoolage children throughout America with a chance to express their endless love in the secretness of an envelope to the object of their young affection. Valentine’s Day is a cootie free zone; a day when love is in the air, and your friends cannot make fun of you.

During this time you learn that in life sometimes you win in love, sometimes you lose. You know love is a funny thing?

It was during these young years I learned the term; “we could still be friends.” The term is the ultimate escape route when you’re saying it and provides a gut wrenching feeling of rejection when you hear it.

Those Valentine's Day class cupcakes, with red frosting and a cup of Kool-Aid have been the first step in a healing process for many of young broken hearts.

When I was in second grade I invested 6 quarters in a gumball machine that provided toy jewelry, until I finally got a ring worthy of my affection for a particular young girl in my class.

In my mind I wrote the most romantic of notes ever on the back of her Valentine card (best one in the box) in red crayon. It had something to do with the color of roses and violets.

She lived within one bus stop of mine, so I enclosed in my note an invitation to my house to play in the near future. To top it off, I enclosed a ring in the envelope. This ring did not have just any stone, it was a Mood Ring. It was a symbol of my love. You know love is a funny thing?

I knew she would be overwhelmed with my words of love, and my sensitivity to the fact that women love jewelry when it comes to their accessorizing. There was no doubt that she would accept my invitation to a play date and that we would live happily ever after.

My young plan of love did actually work. I made her laugh as we ate cupcakes. Frosting stained our teeth as we talked throughout the remainder of the Valentine’s Day Party, and later even held hands on the school bus. You know love is a funny thing?

A few days later my new girlfriend showed up to my house.

My parents were out of town and my grandmother was staying with us. My grandmother demonstrated true Southern hospitality to my little visitor, walking her to the screen porch where I was waiting.

My grandmother exited, but shortly returned with snacks and soda. Wow, did I feel like the player. Grandma’s extra touches were just more icing on my plan of love. In my young mind, all that was missing was the junior size Hugh Hefner smoking jacket!

We sat at the porch table sipping sodas and exchanging glances, I showed her my rock collection. She was impressed. In fact she was so impressed she asked me if she could have several of my favorite rocks. Well they say a diamond is forever, and to a second grader the same might be said for his rocks.

I gave her my favorite rocks she had selected; when she left that day she gave me a kiss. This sealed our commitment for each other.

But after that day she did not talk much to me at school. I decided one day at recess I would invite her back to my house. She said “no and that she thought it would be best if we were just friends.”

"How could this happen? She took my favorite rocks. She kissed me. She even accepted my Mood Ring. "

"Hey wait a minute", I thought!

When she was wearing the Mood Ring it was always tranquil blue when I was around. That is a good thing. So it was not me it was her. She loved me and I had this scientific data to prove it.

Later that day I played with my friends at the park near my home. When my mother called, I rode my bike off into the sunset, home for dinner and with a happy heart.

Adults experience rejection and they often have a tendency to be far more melancholy in their reflection, often finding refuge in the famous quote; “It is better to have loved and lost, than never to love at all.

I was in second grade and simply thought, “You know love is a funny thing?”

Valentine’s Day Greetings

The darker side of Valentine’s Day is represented by its true commercialism. It is driven by greeting card companies, jewelry companies, restaurants, hotels, adult novelties and florist to name a few. If an industry has something that can help you find love, fall in love, feel love, achieve love, or get laid they are marketing it with an unbridled passion on Valentine’s Day!

On the brighter side, Valentine’s Day is an annual reminder to each of us to tell those we love how much we care.

My grandparents are no longer with us, but they are in my heart everyday. Not a day goes by that something does not trigger a memory of each of them. I might not be able to talk with them in person to tell them how much they are loved, but I believe they know how I feel!

My mom and dad are the roots of my very existence. Biologically they have given me life, spiritually they have given me hope, morally they have given me values, and most importantly of all they have taught me how to love! Love of Life, Love of Self, and Love of Others!

My wife is my true love and my companion. When we first met I was defined by most of those who knew me as a wild man. My wife is not only my love, but also my anchor to reality. There are many times I wonder when she committed to “for better or worse”, if she knew there would be times I would take that literally. Our thirteen years together have been wonderful, and I love her more now than the day we married! Ask me tomorrow and it will be even more.

We have two children. The first-born is our 5-year-old son. Watching him is like looking at a mirror into my past. He is going to be a genuine world shaker! Our five-month-old little girl is the happiest baby. She like her mother, smiles almost all the time. What ever she chooses to do in life, I believe this little girl is going to be happy and in control.

In many ways and for many reasons my younger brother is my hero. Regardless who you are, mess with one, you mess with us both. We have always been kind of like the Cartwright’s when it comes to our commitment.

And then there is Catfish the wonder dog, one of the best friends a man could ask for. Who of us cannot appreciate the unconditional love of a great dog?

To all the rest of my family and friends I would like to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day and say I love you!

“Ain’t nothing but love here...”

For the readers of the Poop, Happy Valentine’s Day to you and the ones you love.

If it happens you are romantically feeling a little blue this Valentine’s Day, just listen to the words of the old song “You Can’t Hurry Love”. You will find many of life’s truths may be found in the lyrics of Motown.

Keep in mind that there is somebody for everyone, so keep on trying. And on this Valentine’s Day, “if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you're with”.

Take it from the Bird, when it comes to love you may lose a few rocks, but life was never intended to be a solo mission!

“You know love is a funny thing?”