Same time next year

In a few days, Valentine’s Day will be here. Swimming in a sea of red and pink, we’ll greet the day with smiles on our faces and love in our hearts. Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, bouquets of roses, jewelry, bottles of champagne, sentimental greeting cards ... the tokens of love will abound. The words “I love you” will come easily. And at the end of the day, we’ll reflect and smile and realize memories have been made.

I’m way too old and I’ve experienced way too much to even suggest the concept of living in a Valentine’s Day world. It’s just not going to happen. There’s way too much stuff going on in this little universe to even think about living in a world where heartfelt sentiments are the norm rather than the exception we celebrate on Feb. 14. Sounds rather brutal, doesn’t it?

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. Life is very difficult. It’s hard. It’s not fair. It’s not pretty. And more times than not, life just isn’t what we had planned at all. Am I preaching to the choir? I’m sure I am, for we all have a myriad of issues, problems and concerns that plague our world from top to bottom, from one side to the other, inside out and back again.

When was the last time a day went just as you had planned? When was the last time stress and worry didn’t enter into the picture? When was the last time you laid your head down on your pillow and thought, “Wow! Wasn’t this a fabulous day!” Can’t remember? Do I hear an “Amen?”

OK, I didn’t plan on this column to be one of gloom and doom. Everyday, there are a lot of wonderful things that happen. As they say, “Good things happen to good people,” and for the most part, I think most of us are pretty “good people.” Sure, there will always be a few of those proverbial rotten apples among us, but by and large, the guy/gal in front of you, behind you and next to you are all in the same boat ... We’re all paddling like crazy hoping to stay afloat — physically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, financially and mentally. Whew!