Usually, I am not one to get all excited about holidays. At my age, I do not need the confusion and these holidays take more away than they actually give, if you want my honest opinion. Even my birthday is something I am not too excited about anymore.

I did not realize that February, which is the shortest month of the year, had more holidays than just about any other month. There is a holiday to celebrate every day of the month; from Groundhog Day to Valentine's Day to President's day. It is hard to keep them apart. Sad is the husband who confuses Valentine's Day with Groundhog Day.

I could understand how someone might confuse President's Day with Ground Hog Day. The confusion is obvious. What if after the next presidential election Punxsutawney Phil was elected president by mistake. Or, would it be a mistake? I have to think about that a little more. Instead of, "You're fired!" we would hear, "Six more months of winter!" I am leaning towards the latter.

Did you know that there is a “Tooth Ache Day” in February? Seriously? What a toothache has to do with February is simply beyond me. Don't ask me what it is or what they are celebrating. Maybe it has something to do with the Tooth Fairy. It makes my tooth ache just thinking about it.

All this confusion of holidays has had a negative effect upon me but the one holiday I cannot afford to overlook is Valentine’s Day. If I give attention to some of these other nonsensical holidays, it might compromise my ability to remember Valentine’s Day. You know what would happen if for some reason I forgot Valentine’s Day?

Or, if I got my February cards mixed up and gave her a Groundhog Day card on Valentine’s Day. At that point, I would have to say to Punxsutawney Phil, “Move over I’m coming in. And forget about six more weeks of winter.”

I have often wondered why we celebrate something as romantic as Valentine’s Day in the shortest month of the year. If it was up to me, and it certainly is not, I would make Valentine’s Day the only holiday to celebrate in February. After all, it’s enough to celebrate during the month.

Also, if it was up to me, and it isn’t, I would have only one holiday per month. Maybe every year rotate the monthly holiday but have only one holiday for that month. That, to me, would make more sense.

Maybe even a better plan would be, each month everybody gets to choose the holiday they want to celebrate. Instead of a holiday every day, have one holiday and whatever you want to celebrate on that day, go to it my man.

What difference does it make what I celebrate?

Feeling a little confident about this idea, I presented it to the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. I thought she would enjoy some novel idea from me. Boy, was I surprised.

“What do you mean,” she said sarcastically, “only one holiday per month?”

By the tone of her voice, I knew anything I accomplished on Valentine’s Day, including that box of chocolate covered cherries, was completely void for the coming year. Somewhere, according to her, I had crossed the line.

What line I crossed I am not quite sure yet. All I know is, I crossed the line and now I was in deep manure. A place I have been in before, but you never really get accustom to it.

“Don’t you know celebrating holidays is an important part of our culture? It’s what brings a lot of people, especially families together.”

Well, I guess I had not thought of it that way. I was just thinking of the inconvenience and the nonsensicality of it all. All the different holiday cards, the gifts and the banks being closed. Oh yes, I believe the banks are behind a lot of this because every bank is closed on every holiday. It seems the only time I have a check that I need to cash on some holiday and I need the cash right away.

“And don’t you dare forget,” she said rather sternly, “it is always the thought that matters.”

At my age, it is very hard to keep the old thought machine working and grinding out thoughts. Then I remembered the recent Valentine’s Day card I got for her. I watched her pick it up, open it and say, “Oh, you remembered. How thoughtful.”

Then I began to think of how I felt when she said that. I am not sure how much I paid for that card, not much, you can be sure, but I think it was worth that comment.

Thinking more about this, I begin to realize that holidays were not just “days off,” but really had something behind them for some people. I don’t celebrate every holiday, who could? But I was beginning to realize that each holiday has some significance for somebody.

I was thinking about what Solomon said, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Every season has a purpose finding that purpose is one of the great challenges of life. Celebration is a time to think about where you are and how far you have come and who shared the journey with you.