Tuesday, February 14, 2006

It's Even Better Than Arbor Day

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday. I don't really know why, but I've loved it since I was a little girl. My first Valentine came from my father; cards, candy and flowers, every year. It has always been, other than my birthday, my favorite special event. Some of you may be interested in the history of Valentine's Day; not many people know how it really began.
Even when I didn't have a boyfriend, I would celebrate the day with my friends. We would often commiserate over not having a guy, yet we still enjoyed a great dinner and each other's company. The love of friends is as important to me as that of a partner.
One woman, whose writing always seems to blow me away, is Ella Wheeler Wilcox. Even in the 1800's she was way ahead of her time, with her writing being so timeless, much of it could have been written today. For Valentine's Day, I'd like to share one of her poems with you.

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LOVE

In all earth's music, grand, or sweet, or strong,
To hear one name, as if 'twere set in song.

In all my poems, written 'neath the sun,
To find the praises, o'er and o'er, in one.

To feel thyself a lesser part of what
Hadst thou not found, the earth would be as naught.

To think all beauty, perfectness and grace,
As but the shadow of one worshiped face.

With that face's coming, to bask in warmth and light
And with its going to grope, as in the night.

To rather feel a dear hand's stinging blow
Than any caress another might bestow.

To rather sit in gloom, and hear one voice
Than, missing that, on mountain tops rejoice.

To lose all individual hope and aim,
And have no wish, but for another's fame.

To count grief naught, though great, if one is glad.
To feel no joy if that dear one is sad.

Do thy heart strings, responsive, answer this?
Then thou hast known true love in all its bliss.

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Happy Valentine's Day to my family, my friends and of course my sweet, sweet Eddie.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have a wonderful Love day beautiful one. 143 MAE

MamaKBear said...

Happy Valentine's Day to you and Eddie too! :)