LOVE IS IN THE AIR

      Well it's sunday,so something light seems to be in order.SinceValentine'Day is monday,February the 14th,I thought we should look at it's relationship with cupid and love.It's seems strange that once again Valentine's Day has fallen again on the 14th as it has since 500AD,wait a minute I just realized that it was set up that way intentionally.It must be the love in the air or the overdose of choclate that caused a temporary brain freeze.The first recorded writing on Valentine's Day was in 1382 by Geoffry Chaucer who wrote:
   FOR THIS WAS VALENTINE'S DAY,WHEN EVERY BIRD COMETH THERE TO CHOOSE HIS MATE.
     Now let us jump almost 200 years in the future to 1590 when Edmund Spence wrote in the Faerie Queene:
      SHE BATH'D WITH ROSES RED AND VIOLETS BLEW 
      AND ALL THE SWEETEST FLOWERS,THAT IN THE FOREST GREW.
   But if we wonder when the sickly sweet poetry rhyming began, you know the type.The one were you receive a sugar rush just reading the words without eating any sugar ,or choclate candy.That began in 1784 when an English Nursery Rhyme was published in the book Grammer Gurton Garland which said;
         THE ROSE IS RED,THE VIOLET'S BLUE
         THE HONEY'S SWEET,AND SO ARE YOU
         THOU ARE MY LOVE AND I AM THINE
         I DREW THEE TO MY VALENTINE
         THE LOT WAS CAST AND THEN I DREW
         AND FORTUNE SAID IT SHOULD BE YOU  
    But the real commerical push to send the words of love in cards came to be in the 1850's when cards were made with lace borders,hand painted hearts,and cupids.You know those chubby flying ambassador's of love who shoot the arrows from their bow,willy nilly at one and all,regardless of age,race or belief.But the real reason for Valentine's Day is one that is not spoken about,it teachs young children to express the feeling of love to others that are not of their family.Who among us cannot remenber the hesitation or even fear at being laughted at or being made fun of when you want to expressed a feeling of liking or love to someone else.Even when it was made mandatory to give one to every classmate,it still was scary.If you liked someone special in the class you worried that about how it would look if you gave one that was to personal.Being laught at was the worst thing that could happen.
    So on this day devoted to expressing one's feeling and love,with flowers,candy and candlelight dinner and remember those innocent days of childhood,and be glad you don't have to worry any more about being laught at. Now the only worry is whether or not your mate,girlfriend/boyfriend thinks you have shown your love sufficiently with flower,candy and intimate candlelight dinners.For woe be the one who forgets this day,cupid does not like to be ignored.So enjoy and be grateful it comes only once a year.