Valentines day should be St. Raphael's day .. .
2009-02-14, 4:14 p.m.

I read an article in the BBC talking about how St. Valentine is the patron saint of people already in love, then made a note that St. Raphael is the correct saint for today, since he's the patron saint of people trying to find love.

Here's the thing, whatever you name it, its still a commercial holiday mostly about trying to recreate romantic comedy movies. And yes, this means all we romantically unassociated people aren't a part of that, but screw it. The whole bitter singles thing is fucking overrated. I say we take this holiday and turn it into what it really should be about. Ron's, that category includes you.

Why should we be mourning what TV tells us is the appropriate way to live (don't make me recount the story of the girl who thought I was gay simply because I didn't have a boyfriend. WTF!)

I have so much love in my life, and today I celebrate my family, the beautiful friends that I have, and the general fact that I am a member of the human race. While defiled by some, it is also glorious because there are people in it who are simple, and kind, wise and beautiful.

Today I celebrate love, not heart shaped boxes of candy and cheesy candle light dinners, diamond bracelets or pearl earings. I won't celebrate the glorification of what this country likes to THINK it knows about romance (remember this is a country that still tries to tell us who it is and isn't ok to love).

Instead I'll glorify what I know is love is. My sister texting me in the early morning hours, my best friend calling me confirming I am in fact always first to wish her a happy holiday, my roommate greeting me with presents and silencing the fact I was about to yell at her for being on the phone at 7;30 in the morning.

I'll glorify my mom calling me at 10:00 at night to talk to me, because she was busy all day long and only had that time to actually sit down. And she was using that time to call me no matter how much we've been through.

I'll glorify my father working his ass off to provide for his family, and I'll celebrate my love of my people, and their strength as their land and lives are raped by the israeli army and soiled by U.S. tax money. They can't break us.

I'll glorify communities who get together to support a sick neighbor and help pay for a surgery, companies who decide to be responsible or consumers who think twice before taking another plastic bag.

I'll glorify those who choose to do the right thing today, instead of the wrong because inherently they believe in the power of good.

I'll celebrate a day of love and beauty, not as Valentines or St. Raphael's day, TV couples day, but as a day to just celebrate universal LOVE.