As you know, Valentine's Day is being celebrated this week - February 14 - all across the U.S. and in other places around the world. Most of us look on this Day as an opportunity to express our love for those who mean so much to us throughout the year. Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written valentines didn't begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest valentine still in existence today is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. In any event, it is a wonderful time to say "I LOVE YOU!"

As we strive to get our priorities more in order during this special occasion, here are some thoughts to ponder: Living on earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun each year; How long a minute is depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on; Birthdays are good for us - the more we have the longer we live; You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person; A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. Valentine's Day can help to remind us that the most important possession we all have is LOVE. Let's look at these comments made by a lady in her mid-80's. She said, "I am reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in my yard enjoying the view. I 'm spending more time than ever with my family and friends. I want to recognize these wonderful moments now , and cherish them. I'm not thinking anymore about 'someday' or 'one of these days.' If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it NOW."

These are words of wisdom, Folks. Have you ever thought about what you might do if this were your last day on earth? It might be the "little things" left undone, such as a call you had intended to make, or a letter you had intended to write. It might be that you would regret not having told your loved ones that you loved them. On this Valentine's Day, and EVERY DAY, we would all be well served to not put off or hold back anything that might add laughter and luster to life, and to remind ourselves each morning as we open our eyes that THIS DAY is special.

Now to close with a little humor: A history scholar was driving home one night after an evening partying with friends when a police officer noticed his car swerving all over the road and proceeds to pursue. He pulls the historian over and upon checking the vehicle notices bottles all over the floorboard. He asks, "Have you been drinking?" The scholar replied, "I don't know what you're talking about. I have just left a meeting after giving praise to the Lord for his many blessings and miracles." The policeman then asked, "What's in the bottles?" and the scholar replied, 'Water." The officer reached in, grabbed one of the bottles, opened the top, and was quickly overcome by the smell. He said, "This is wine!," to which the scholar promptly shouted, "Praise the Lord, HE'S DONE IT AGAIN!"