BE MY VALENTINE
There's only one Saint's Day in my office diary, apart from the four British patron saints, and that's St Valentine. Yet we know almost nothing about him. It's said he was a priest who defied Emperor Claudius' rule prohibiting young soldiers getting married on the grounds that it would lessen their strength and dedication to the army cause. Valentine continued to conduct weddings so the Emperor had him executed on February 14th 269AD. Legend has it that before he was beheaded he restored sight and hearing to his jailer's deaf and blind daughter.
The association of Valentine with love and lovers seems to have started with Chaucer's “Parlement of Foules” in 1382. Whatever the reason, this celibate priest has been identified with expressions of love and affection ever since.
But even if all this sounds a bit far-fetched it's easy to see why we need a saint especially allocated to the virtue of love. Love is an essential ingredient of life itself. We all respond to it, we're all miserable when it's missing from our lives. Even plants and animals respond to love and attention. You could say that love is the life blood of creation itself.
Somebody once described us as mere space dust clinging to a small suburban planet on the very edges of the universe. But we are far more than that. We are love.
And one of the most enduring laws of our creation is that the more we love the more we will be loved. Love can't be hoarded, if we try it we'll end up with nothing because love can't exist alongside selfishness. The very nature of love demands that it is given away. As St John of the Cross said, “The more a soul loves, the more perfect is its love.”
May you all receive an expression of love on Valentine's Day.
MAC
It would seem that honest punters are not the only ones out for a bargain in the stores these days. We all know we must take extra care of our belongings whilst shopping but this latest stunt really is below the belt!! Read on. Whilst visiting the toilets in an up-market, fairly local store, my friend as usual put her handbag on the hook on the door, (more hygienic of course) after a few minutes to her utmost surprise she saw a hand appear over the door and yes, you are right, away went the handbag. Obviously it was a moment or two before she could gather herself together and by then there was no sign of the thief. She duly reported it to the store manager being very concerned not only about the money, not a great deal, but the fact that her bag contained her credit cards, diary, house keys etc. She was advised that it had happened before and they would be more vigilant but should they have any news, if she left her phone number would contact her immediately. Days passed and then a call from the store, yes they had found the bag and would she come in as soon as possible to identify everything. Pleased as punch she set off at once. On arriving to speak with the manager she was informed there must be some mistake as they hadn't phoned her. Oh dear, I think you know what's coming next. On arriving back home yes, her house had been ransacked! There are so many lessons to be learned from this it would take another page so I will let you do the thinking.
Frankie Stuart
Chairman, Neighbourhood Watch.