Engraved Hearts

Happy St. Valentine's Day!  St. Valentine was an actual person, a priest in 3rd century Rome, Italy, who helped those who were persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, son of God, and martyred, killed by the Roman emperor.  He also was asked to renounce his faith, refused, was beaten and beheaded on February 14th.  His relics (bones or something that has touched his remains) are in the church of St. Praxedes.  Many Christian churches have celebrated the Feast of St. Valentine.

Our United States traditions include sending beautiful paper declarations of love, 'Valentines,' giving candy and presents.  Let me tell you about my first teenage boyfriend and our first Valentine's Day.  Buddy and I were both sophomores in high school.  We had been dating for about a month once or twice on the weekends.  I don't remember where we went on Valentine's Day in 1959 but as soon as I got into his car, he gave me the biggest and most beautiful tin box with layers of different chocolate candies.  I was really impressed!  I still have that tin box somewhere.  I even remember what I was wearing, a red-and-white gingham checked shirt-waist dress that I had never worn before.

Buddy was a football player at De Sales boys high school in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.  During football season, he'd go to the games in the bus with the football team and I'd go with his parents and younger sister.  We had a great time.  Buddy and I went to movies, other sports events, teen-age clubs at churches, school dances, shopping, and family events.  I loved him with all my young heart.  I remember ironing and wishing I was ironing for him.  We planned to be married after we graduated from high school.

Buddy and I dated about a year and a half.  One blistering hot August day in 1960 (remember: NO air conditioning in cars or houses!), my mother and I were out shopping.  We decided to stop at an A & W Drive-in to cool off with a frosty mug of root beer. Who was there but Buddy with another girl next to him in his car!  I was absolutely crushed!  I think I was so sad I spent the next week in bed.  Then I decided to put it in the past.

About a month later, Buddy called me.  I was really surprised.  My mother was sitting nearby and I mouthed the words, "It's Buddy.  He wants to go out.  I don't know what to do."  She whispered, "Tell him you don't want to see him."  And I did!  I never heard from him again.

Fast forward to April, 1961. Buddy and his girlfriend at the time were walking to a movie on 4th Street in Louisville, close to Broadway.  From the shadows of a store doorway, a young punk yelled out an insult about Buddy's girlfriend.  Buddy ran over to the guy to slug him and the punk knifed him in the chest!  Buddy was rushed to the hospital and had heart surgery.  The knife had sliced the lower part of his heart and he only lived for several hours, surrounded by the priests and brothers of DeSales High School praying for him.

I needed to visit Buddy and his family at the funeral home. It was good to see his family.  I stood by Buddy in the casket and prayed.  An old lady came up to me and asked, "Are you the girlfriend?"  I told her, "No."  I had to touch Buddy's arm to see if he really was dead.  It was hard, like a rock.  May you rest in peace, Buddy!

Buddy and I had the same values and never argued.  I think a person's first young love is very sweet because you have never been hurt.  I only remember the good times we had, not the betrayal.  That love has been Engraved on my Heart all these years!

Every person we have ever loved and every person who has ever loved us leaves this beautiful imprint on our hearts.  We remember this affirming, warming love and it makes us capable of even more love.  Think about your first love. . . think about all the loves of your life. . .

Think about your loves of now.  We need to nurture all our loves, our family, our friends, our acquaintances.  We can never take love for granted.  It is a tragedy of universal proportions when love dies whether it happens slowly or in a flash.  How can we show those and tell those we love that we really care?

Lord God, you ARE LOVE!  Teach us the many ways to love all those we know.  We are so full of your precious, gentle, strong love that we are overflowing and want to splash out that love on every person we encounter!