Sweet Heart – Once Upon a Time
Once there was a guy named Valentinus who supposedly helped a young blind girl see. Just before being executed for some probably heinous crime or another (or not), he sent a note to her, signed “From your Valentine.” This was February 14, 270 A.D. There was another theory relating to February 14, as the day of romance and love. It has been said that St. Valentine’s Day was the day on which the birds, returning in the very early spring, chose their mates. (Spring was often thought to begin in the middle of February in 14th-century Europe.) Where was Hallmark then?
Not Just an Organ, an Icon
While “heart” normally makes people think of the thump, thump, thump of their ticker and the job of keeping it thumping, the heart is a star, featured in songs, television and on the big screen. As an example, in the TV series, Once Upon a Time, (a modernized fairy-tale, complete with Snow White, Robin Hood, Aladdin, Captain Hook and even Rumpelstiltskin), the Evil Queen can reach into someone’s body, rip out their heart and crush it to death. Which, is on the kind of creepy side. On the other hand, the heart goes hand in hand with love. Getting struck by Cupid’s arrow may very well take your breath away and make your heart go pitter-patter. No wonder it’s become such a pop icon.
The Price We Pay for Love
The Beatles insisted finances and fondness were unrelated. “I don’t care too much for money,” they sang. “for money can’t buy me love.”
But money can buy a heapful of cards and candy, and even cushy little teddy bears with big red hearts emblazoned on their chests. The amount spent on this holiday is actually enough to make you grab your heart and say, “are you kidding?” In 2016, Valentine’s Day sales soared to an all-time record $18.9 billion, which represents an 8.5% increase from 2014, when Americans spent $17.3 billion. So, who’s shelling out most of these big bucks? When it comes to Millennials, they pull out all the financial stops, spending an average of $290 on their special Valentines. Talk about sealed with a kiss.
Gotta Love It
This zealousness for passion kind of goes on in other ways, too. Apparently, there is such a thing as the most romantic city in the US, and it is ranked by how much each city’s spending increases on Valentine’s Day gifts during the first half of February. Tucson took the huge chocolate heart with a 68% percent jump in spending, and Portland bottomed the list as the least romantic city with a mere 15% increase in spending. (Maybe the rain and crummy weather kept them from getting out to shop.) And as a one-up on plushy teddy bears, it’s no secret that we love our pets, and that we spend more than we’d ever like to admit on making their life as comfy as possible. This includes spending $700 million on Valentine’s Day gifts for them. What a woof!
A Labor of Love
For all the love in the air this month, you should be floating. So why do you feel like you’ve been hit by a train reeling off its track? We’ve got a simple answer to that one: unbalanced hormones. When they are in proper balance, hormones help the body thrive, which makes you feel great. But even small problems with hormones can cause serious and potentially life-altering symptoms. Oh, brother. But the answer to that is with Stephen A. Goldstein, M.D, F.A.C.S. at Denver Hormone Health. No one in the Denver area knows more about, or is more experienced in the field of Hormone Replacement. With simple tests, he can tell exactly what your problem is, then compounds a uniquely tailored treatment to make you feel your absolute best. Call for an appointment now. You’ll be glad you did.
Cross our hearts.