Hearts and Flowers

Yes, it's here.. another St. Valentine's Day.. known in America as the Hallmark holiday. I'm sure that this year will be no exception to years past.. Hallmark will make a tidy fortune today, along with florists across the country. And I have to wonder if Europeans too, are boosting the bottom line for their card companies, flower vendors and candy suppliers. Do they get bombarded with jewelry commercials before Feb. 14th ~ a la "a diamond is forever"?

I know what you're thinking. I'm about to blast the romance trade and denounce this holiday as sappy and over-rated.. wrong. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm actually glad that the world has set aside a day for love.. and for lovers.

Love is the most important emotion a human being can feel, and the love two people share with each other (and with their families) is a large part of the reason we get up and live each day. Love has great things to teach us, if we listen with our hearts.. Khalil Gibran comes to mind.. do you hear that DeBeers?

I will admit that I think Valentine's Day has become a commercial enterprise ~ like Mother's Day, Father's Day and Grandparent's Day (what?). Another excuse for Americans to spend money to show their "love" for someone. It's crap. And I sincerely hope that I can be exempted from most of this when I move to Germany.

Romance and love have nothing to do with a dozen roses. Believe me. I know. It has nothing to do with Hallmark either.

Real love between two people is celebrated every day, in the thoughts and actions that say "I place your happiness above my own". They are the little things that should be noticed (and appreciated!) on a daily basis, which don't need to be reinforced by extravagant gestures, i.e. diamonds and dinner.

Besides, Mizi is the most romantic man I've ever known. He makes me feel loved every second. He tells me I'm beautiful when I haven't even showered. And the amazing thing is.. he does make me feel beautiful, even then. Because he always means what he says. I've never before known a man who means everything he says. He means it too, when he says "darling, you look tired", but I don't mind honesty. It's the truth that I value most. So does he.

And the truth is, I love him more than life. Unconditionally, irrevocably. DeBeers can offer me a diamond mine, and I wouldn't bat an eyelash in refusing if it meant I had to spend one second without Mizi. No way. "Mehr als mein leben" will be engraved on my wedding band ~ "More than life" will be in his.. but our hearts are married already.

So Valentine's Day is every day for us.

I remember the first time he sent me flowers.. I was still 7,000 km away, just like now. He went out and took a picture of a meadow full of daisies, then emailed it to me (did I mention daisies are my favorite?) just to make me smile. I still have that picture, of course, and every time I see it I am reminded that he thinks of me before he thinks of himself. So yes, sometimes I do get flowers. But my heart belongs to Mizi. I celebrate that simple truth every day, and I make sure he knows it.

If every couple always thought of each other first, we wouldn't need Hallmark.. we wouldn't need St. Valentine either. Now, I'm not saying don't make the gesture of flowers or cards or candy or yacht rentals.. whatever you do is bound to be appreciated by your special someone.

I'm just saying don't be lazy the other 364 days of the year. Even the florist can look foward to wedding season, Christmas and birthdays. I don't think they'll suffer all that much. Hallmark won't go out of business no matter what you do.. and as for the jewelry industry, they've made entirely too much blood money as it is.

Really, I'm glad that love gets a special day. Evidently, people need to be reminded to express it. So be sure to tell the one you love just how much you care today. Try to remember to do it tomorrow too.. and all the days that follow. Your life will be richer for it ~ and so will the life of the one you love.

And darling.. did I say yet today how much I love you?
Not much enough I think...
I love you more than the way to the stars and back..

Happy Valentine's Day

(now where is that smiley with his tongue sticking out?)