Valentine's Day: Love and Birth

For most folks, Valentine's Day is a day of love. For some, it's a day of birth. And since birth should be a product of love, any birth on Valentine's Day represents a harmonic convergence. Love and birth, a transcendent combination, a divine intervention.

For my family, this Valentine's Day will forever shine brighter than any such day in our history. Why? Because today, my brother and his wife produced twins, a boy and a girl. Talk about hitting the Valentine's Day jackpot. We share their joy for an occasion that promises many happy returns. One thing is for sure----Valentine's Day will never be quite the same in his happy household. Birthday cakes, not chocolates. Birthday parties, not quiet, romantic dinners. Birthday presents AND Valentine's Day presents (for his wife) if my brother is half as smart as I think he is.

Not all Valentine's Day births involve babies. As a native Oregonian, one of those rare fifth-generation Oregonians no less, I am very aware that February 14th is Oregon's birthday. On February 14, 1859 Oregon became the 33rd state to be admitted to the Union. Next year, Oregonians will celebrate their sesquicentennial as my niece and nephew celebrate their first birthday. I love Oregon and gladly celebrate it's birthday every Valentine's Day. I love it so much I even wrote a song about it (called "Oregon"; the song is more original than the title suggests). Now I have something new to celebrate every February 14.

So much music involves the topic of love, so little deals with the topic of birth, and that's probably a good thing. Now, as for songs about twins, I did a little research today and found a pretty blank slate. Aside from the old Doublemint jingle ("double your pleasure, double your fun with Doublemint Doublemint Doublemint gum") songs about twins are almost non-existent. Maybe it's time for a new era of songwriting involving twins, triplets and the more painful and risky variations of childbirth---quads, quints, etc. As for me, I think I'll limit my creative endeavors to other topics. My final thought on this Valentine's Day: Here's wishing that on this Valentine's Day and forever, my brother's new twins double his pleasure and double his fun. I don't see gum having a prime role in this happy arrangement.