Can I start off by saying how lucky I am? I'm so stinkin' lucky! Crystal is the most amazing wife ever! My valentines gift was a mason jar, filled with pieces of paper... Each one representing one thing she loves about me. There are over 200 pieces of paper in the jar, enough to get me to my birthday. Yeah it's pretty much the most amazing valentine's gift ever!
So on with my post... I always thought of Valentine's Day as a nice mushy day... Until today. Did you know it's actually the anniversary of a be-heading that we celebrate? Let's take a trip back in time. Emperor Claudius is ruling over Rome. He's such a bad dude that the peasants call him "Claudius the Cruel." Well Claudius has this theory: Married men are lousy soldiers. They are reluctant to die for their country. So he makes this law that no one is allowed to get married. (Somehow this will keep the men brave and willing to fight harder) Enter Bishop Valentine... He decides this Claudius guy is an idiot and he's going to marry people anyway. Bad Idea. "Claudius the Cruel" lives up to his namesake and when he hears about this renegade bishop that is marrying people, he snaps. "Chop off his head!" he yelled. And so on February 14, 270A.D. Bishop Valentine was put on the chopping block, and the result (other than a very close haircut) was Valentine's Day. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and mushy inside?
