Be Mine?

Today in my 8:00 class, three guys randomly showed up with a guitar and sang “you are my sunshine” to my professor, as well as presented him with a white rose. This is the gift of Valentine’s Day.

Growing up, we had pink cupcakes, and cartoon cards, and homemade valentines. In the second grade, my class had an anonymous love letter mailbox, and though I didn’t receive a valentine, my best friend chanley did. I remember leaning over it with her, giggling. In the third grade, the boy I had a crush on gave me a valentine that said, “will you bee mine?” In middle school, I got a letter from a secret admirer in my locker. And in the seventh grade, I got a red rose.

Some people hate Valentines. I get that; everything is heart shaped and pink and you’re reminded of how completely and utterly single you are. But due to circumstances, I’m kind of obligated to love Valentine’s Day, seeing as how it’s the day I was born.

I’m a Valentine baby. A chocolate and flower lover. A romantic by birth.

I’m the person who is frolicking on campus like a moron, admiring the hugs, and red sweaters, and sweet kisses. I’ll smile like an idiot all day and bask in the glorious amount of lovey doviness I’m feeling.

I know this sickens many, but once a year I turn into this love hopeful and smiley pile of mush. Every year it happen and there is nothing I can do to prevent it. I even wrote a valentine’s ditty the other day…

Imagine, years and years ago Emperor Claudius II of Rome decided to cancel all marriages and engagements in hopes that men would join the army and would leave their families to fight for him. And there was Priest Valentine, who thought love too sacred- who was a frolicking idiot too I suppose- so he wedded couples in secret. Unfortunately, he was put in prison and eventually put to death on February 14th, but before his death, he sent the woman he loved a letter and signed it, “from your Valentine”.

Weird thought: we kind of celebrate a priest’s death every year…

I think one reason I adore valentine’s so much is because it seems to be the one day of the year when anything could happen. Someone could randomly walk into my class, playing the guitar, and sing to me. A letter could be left at my doorstep, a flower on my car…hearts could be drawn in pink on the concourse, and love poems could be taped to the walls. At any second, someone could be telling someone else that they love them, the notebook could come on TV, heart shaped cookies could be baked, a couple could be kissing, someone could say they’re sorry, even the most hard-hearted person could smile. Someone just might throw rocks at my window…

Valentine’s Day, at least to me, is about the possibility that something out of the ordinary could happen, and the gigantic weight of that possibility makes it all bearable (singleness, pink, glittery things). And though the three most magical words are said to be,”I love you,” I argue that they are in fact, “I love you too.” And Valentine’s Day is about, “I love you too.” You don’t have to be loved, to love.

So dear one, today,will you be my Valentine?