by Kevin W Byrom

Created on: September 12, 2010   Last Updated: September 13, 2010

I wrote love poem a number of years ago that ends with the words: “But above all else, cherish it with all thy heart and soul, for my trust and love are but bitterness not enraged, and you shall have them always, lest you forget these endearing words and fade unto darkness.”

The greatest, most effective and devastating emotion entwined within the very essence of our living spirits is the emotion of love. From the moment of birth we receive it from our parents, siblings, friends and strangers, and at some point in our life we become emotionally involved with someone special that drives us to fall in love with them. We show our love for that special person in our life in many ways; we often don't think about all the things we do for them, but on Valentine's Day we often spend way too much money on cards, flowers, and other gifts that quickly become memories of the past when they're eaten, packed away, thrown out or die.

Is the expense of the gifts we share with those special people in our life equal to the amount of love we cherish within our hearts for them?

Were we to look honestly and critically at what our loved ones give us on that special day, and we took their gifts to heart, all of us would be appalled! We'd be saying “If you think this is all I'm worth, you can have it back. Oh, and by the way, you'll be sleeping in the dog house tonight!”

According to Geographic Daily News, In the year 2009 Americans spent 14.7 billion dollars on valentine's gifts. This year the results of a survey conducted by the Retail Federation indicate their expected to spend 14.1 billion. The economy has a lot to deal with this drop in spending. Men are expected to spend twice the amount that women do, and it would appear that many people spend their money on valentine's gifts more to impress than to show love.

There isn't a vault of gold, the most precious metal on the face of this world that I could deliver to my spouse that could ever do justice to, or equal the amount of love I have for her. Even if I could deliver a gift of such magnitude, she would never accept it, not because she wouldn't appreciate it, but because she knows, as I do, that you can't put a monetary value on loves worth.

Spending a small fortune we don't have on gifts that may or may not be appreciated, and that has nothing to do with our love for one another is a luxury we can do without. There's much more value in preparing a simple meal in the kitchen and sharing your love for

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>