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Valentine’s Day comes every year whether we welcome it or not. It ignores the fact that some may be in some stage of divorce. At times it can be completely heartless.

Holidays are great except for those times when reality fails to match up with any of the greetings offered on the card rack:

“You’re my everything.”
“To my loving Wife/Husband,”
“You complete me.”

None are appropriate right at the moment. Just not feeling it.

What about a little reality? Something along the lines of:

“So happy you’re gone.”
“Life is better without you in it.”
“Thanks for the kids and for leaving us.”

I am sure these suggestions are tame compared to many floating through the minds of the newly-divorced, in the middle of the never-ending divorce, and about-to-be divorced public.

A quick glance at Wikipedia  reveals that the true origin of Valentine’s Day is centered around martyrdom which did not involve candy, flowers, promises or mad scrambles to make dinner reservations.

The legends and myths are many. Perhaps the best-known centers around a Roman guy named Valentine who was about to be executed. He was rebellious and determined. He  worked hard to convert people to Christianity and secretly married soldiers who were forbidden to go down that path,  as they were better at fighting if left single. Valentine’s vocations cost him and he was about to meet his maker. Before his execution he cured the jailer’s daughter of her blindness. She planted a pink-blossomed tree in his honor.

So the story goes.

Somehow this morphed into a billion dollar event where we are told to buy stuff to prove we love each other. I think curing blindness and performing secret marriages for love-struck soldiers warrants rewards, including chocolate, flowers, and maybe even some jewels.

I confess to loving it, along with all the hype and sugar it offers. If nothing on the card rack fits your life today, perhaps remember Valentine’s Day is a chance to tell your BFF you love her or let your long-lost nephew know he’s your hero.