Team Favorite-St. Valentine's Day
If I could think of one holiday that I was convinced was invented by retailers it would be Valentine’s Day. Prior to writing this, I did not know there was any religious or historical significance whatsoever, and even still after a bit of research I’m not entirely sold on the fact that there wasn’t some serious embellishing along the way. As it turns out, I have learned that the Feast of Saint Valentine is, in fact, a real celebration that dates back all the way to the year 269. However, according to Wikipedia, its ties to the celebration of romance and love remain debated to this day. Regardless of the historical context, Valentine’s Day is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the US and abroad and like just about everyone, we’ve all had both good and bad memories on that day.
By Paul Morrone, CFP ®, CPA, MSA
I’ve never been known as a hopeless romantic and see myself as more of a pragmatist, especially when it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day. I really tried the first Valentine’s Day I celebrated with Jill and made reservations at a nice Spanish restaurant, which sounded great at the time. Then things went downhill. We waited a half hour to get seated (not really a problem as we posted up at the bar) and ended up squeezed in a small table between two other couples who were equally as disappointed in the seating arrangements. Slow service and an obnoxiously loud dining room were the icing on the cake and from there on out we vowed never to go out on Valentine’s Day again. Now we opt to stay home, cook a nice meal and drink a special bottle of wine. In an attempt to try to make it memorable, I always make an effort to surprise Jill with flowers (iris not roses) and end up getting chocolates for myself because, well, I like them and she would rather have gummy bears.
By Tom Morrone, CFP ®, CPA, Principal
I remember in grade school how Valentine’s Day was very awkward. On Valentine’s Day eve I would be busy hand writing out Valentine’s Day cards for everyone in my class. I would scotch tape little candy hearts on the cards for my favorite friends. Of course there was always a special girl or two that would get more than one of those special candies taped to her card. Each candy heart had its own special message that would be carefully selected for that special someone. The hard part was the next day in class, you were hopeful that you would receive Valentine cards from those special people that thought you were special to them as well. Oh how things have changed and evolved from those simple days. The difference besides the simplicity is I truly have a special someone in my life and candy hearts taped to a card and stuffed in a box are not needed to express my feelings. Each and every Valentine’s Day with Cathy is special because it is another year that we have survived the trials and tribulations of life….together. The key word is together and hopefully, with good health for us both we have many more special days together, including Valentine’s Day.
By Barbara Gode, Office Manager
For as long as I can remember, St. Valentine’s Day has always been a joyous day for me. In fact, once I met that special someone (29 years ago), it became the perfect month to celebrate married love too. So, why didn’t I choose to get married on St. Valentine’s Day?
Because truly that day, February 14th (since I was a young girl), belonged first to Dad.
Mom took care of birthdays, Christmas gifts and other special occasions, but Dad claimed St. Valentine’s Day. Dad was the man I could depend on, the hardworking supporter of his family, the gardener, the fixer upper, the strong-willed one, the one that gave me the toughest time growing up. But, on Valentine’s day, he would always acknowledge me in some special way. This display of affection, is still a big deal to me today. It didn’t matter what the gift was…a stuffed animal, a box of candy, flowers…whatever. I cherished it no matter what. Today, I still look forward to his personally autographed heartfelt card and gift. I am blessed to have a heart full of love for all the men in my life. But, there is a corner of my heart that belongs to Dad alone.
St. Valentine, pray for us!
