The note left in a jail cell in 270 AD was simply signed “from your Valentine”. It was meant for the jailer’s daughter, a young woman that the imprisoned and very much doomed Valentine was in love with.
His crime was secretly marrying young men and women. At the time, this was against the law as Emperor Claudius II felt that married men made for weak soldiers and he did not want the male population threatened by home life. Valentine had been exposed for his clandestine activity and died on February 14th.
Like so many things in life, the history of Valentines Day, is harsh and might leave one feeling a bit turned off by the facts surrounding the truth. It hits us that not only were the captors short sighted (if there are no marriages and baby boys, the soldier pool gets pretty small) but the recognition of love as the center of a thriving humanity was literally banished.
For many Valentines Day is for celebrating those special partners in our lives who bring us such great joy. That alone is reason enough to buy a card. It is also may be a tender time as we remember those we have loved – and lost. Our mates, family members, friends and neighbors who will not see another red heart printed on school paper with a potato stamp, or find chocolate on the table. They will not answer when we call in to say hello or be there to hold our hand in times of trial.
At times the heart can feel broken, the spirit crushed, the soul in mourning – all which are feeling to acknowledge and to honor. And it is at these times when love also triumphs.
The helping hand of a neighbor, the coffee ‘on the house’, the surprise visit from a friend, the casserole still warm from the oven, the “I’ll Walk home with you”, the snow pushed in the driveway, the wildflowers picked and set in an old jar, the quiet of one near us when we feel lost and the standing beside us when we too – go to battle. A letter. A call. A prayer. A manifestation. These are all expressions of love.
My hope is that in all of corners of our lives we “see” love in its many forms and take pause to be grateful. Grateful for the act of the giving, yes, but more importantly for the person behind that kindness.
I think often of the bouquet of flowers delivered to me one day with the simple message “Just Because”. That modest act, soothed my soul and healed the ragged edges. It brought me to tears for at that moment, even though I was so very alone and so very far away, I knew I was loved.
We don’t need a historical martyr to set our love into action for just one day – we simply need to graciously and gratefully embrace it as a constant, as a gift, for both giving and receiving.
At this point in history, and just as it was all through the ages, what the world needs now – is love.
Copyright @Brenda Schoepp 2026
