I have a dilemma. Yesterday I prepared a witty, scathing Valentine’s Day-bashing post. I was all ready to post it too. Then I got up this morning and read The Daily Bread. Messed up my whole program. Of course it dealt with the real meaning of love as defined in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Now I’m moved to write about that.
I don’t want to waste a perfectly good post. So here’s what I’ve come up with: Since I’m in the middle of a terrible mood swing and I’m acting like Sybil anyway, I may as well post like her too … I’m putting them both up.
Love Never Fails
From today’s Daily Bread: Well-known scientist and writer Henry Drummond (1857-1897) conducted a geological survey of South Africa and wrote what was then the definitive work on tropical Africa. But he is best remembered for his book about love, The Greatest Thing In The World.
Drummond wrote, "As memory scans the past, above and beyond all the transitory pleasures of life, there leap forward those supreme hours when you have been enabled to do unnoticed kindnesses to those round about you, things too trifling to speak about . . . . And these seem to be the things which alone of all one's life abide."
I love this. The small, unnoticed kindnesses that are just too trifling to even speak about. Think about that for a minute.
We get so caught up with what we want and what we can get. Everyone seems to be out for themselves these days. Which is probably why we feel so unfulfilled. So I went back to 1 Corinthians 13 and pulled out these words:
Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth
That’s a pretty tall order. Can you imagine loving like that? Suffering long? Seeking not your own? Bearing all things and enduring all things? I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around that concept. I’m hopeful. It can’t be impossible and I believe the bottom line is to just put someone else first. My problem is repeatedly putting him first and repeatedly getting kicked in the teeth for my efforts. It kind of sours one on the concept of the 1 Corinthians kind of love, you know what I mean? But like I said, I’m hopeful.
Happy Friggin' Valentine’s Day
This is a tongue-in-cheek look at the reasons why I’m just not feeling Valentine’s Day. I hope all you real hopeless romantics don’t take this too seriously. My intent is not to rain on anyone’s parade … just to have a little fun on this crappy, heart filled, fake ass holiday.
Every year on Valentine’s Day I buy a card and a box of chocolates for each of my children. I'm really excited because I was able to find See's candy which is generally found on the west coast. I love See's -- second only to Godiva. Anyway, I remember my father doing this for me and my sisters and I guess I wanted to continue the tradition. He always brought home a huge heart shaped box of candy for my mom. It was nice.
That is probably the only positive memory of Valentine’s Day that I have. I’m 41 years old. I’ve had two husbands and countless numbers of boyfriends (yes, countless!) and the only memorable Valentine’s Days are the ones that include my father! What the hell? Come to think of it … I did get a beautiful card from my best friend Mark this year and I think D may have proposed sometime around (not on) Valentine’s Day in 1993. I don’t remember.
Either:
I have a really bad memory
None of my exes were very creative or left a lasting impression
My lack of a significant other on Valentine’s Day 2006 has completely clouded my judgment.
I’m just a really cold woman, who does not possess a romantic bone in her body.
Or, my father is the only man that I really still love
Ain’t that sweet? Don’t get it twisted, I am not trying to intellectualize how I feel about this day. Even when I’m in a relationship this day seems more like a nuisance than anything else. I usually wait until the last minute to buy a gift just in case a brotha wants to act up … know what I mean? It’s just that when I’m in love with someone I make sure that they know it everyday. Not just on February 14th so the fact that I am made to feel obligated to give and receive bullshit tokens pisses me off.
Over the years the gifts I’ve given on Valentine’s Day included silk boxers, watches, flowers and cards. Truthfully, I don’t think any of the recipients are sitting around wondering what I’m doing this year. Well, maybe one or two are wondering ... but it’s not because of any gift that I gave them. It’s probably because they are trying to remember the last time their toes curled like that! ;-)
I am so not looking forward to this day at the office either. The constant parade of deliverymen coming in and out of the building and the squealing females who probably told their men that they had better send some flowers to the office. Let’s be honest, those flowers aren’t for the intended recipient, they are for the dozens of onlookers who are now supposed to believe that Joanne’s husband is a ‘great guy’ – even though she makes it a habit of telling everyone within listening distance what an asshole he is the other 364 days of the year. What a crock.
Happy Friggin' Valentine’s Day!
What is meant to be will be
