Valentines Day, everyone's love it (or hate it) holiday, is here.  And my intention was to clearly express that I  totally get where the haters are coming from- it's commercial, it's  kitschy.  But number 1: there is historical basis for the holiday & number 2: any day is a good day to express love and/or appreciation.

Thanks to Wikkipedia, plus my own very loose summarizing...A long long time ago, (think 4th or 5th century) there was apparently a Christian priest Saint Valentine, who performed secret marriages for Roman soldiers threatened with a ban from getting wed. The theory of the Emperor of the time was that married men were distracted men, thinking that single men would make a bigger stronger army. St.Valentine went around with an amethyst ring on, customary to Christian bishops of his time, that was engraved with the accepted symbol of love, a cupid. Thus, the soldiers wanting to be married would recognize him as a sympathizer and ally in their effort to wed and he would assist them to that end. He may or may not have imparted to them cut out parchment paper hearts reminding them of the love involved in a marriage.  St.Valentines was executed on Feb 14th for attempting to convert the ruler of the time to Christianity, but first legend has it he saved the daughter of his jailer and left behind with her a note "From Your Valentine".

It was apparently mostly miscellaneous famous poets that fleshed out the rest of what we now know as Valentines Day. It is meant to be a romantic day.  Between a loving partnership.  But love can really be limitless.  It is the bond between parent and child, between lovers, between friends, between animal and owner, between merchant and customer, and most importantly between self and self.  Love is everywhere you look. And paying homage to any love is not complicated or shallow, even if it's on our modern commercial Valentines Day. Because giving gifts, tokens and especially jewelry (of course!) with love in your heart can only be a good thing, for the giver, for the receiver, for the business. Make a card, spend pennies or spend millions...either way, share with love in your heart.

Happy Valentine's Day