Year's shortest month offers much to think about

PRIME – February 2014 By Debbie Gardner debbieg@thereminder.com February is unique. The briefest month in our calendar at a mere 28 days (most years), it encompasses some of the more iconic rituals of today's society. There's Groundhog Day on Feb. 2 a nod to our superstitions regarding animals and their ability to predict natural events. Writing this before the fabled day, I'll express my hope that this year's Groundhog Day is overcast and cloudy, ensuring that Punxsutawney Phil does not see his shadow. I, for one, have had enough of biting cold and blowing snow already this year, and would very much welcome the early arrival of spring. February also marks the birthdays of two of America's most recognizable Presidents the "father" of our country, George Washington, born Feb. 22, and the preserver of the Union, Abraham Lincoln, born Feb. 12. Though I clearly remember observing both of these dates and acknowledging the contributions made by both men while in elementary school, I found it interesting that many of today's calendars no longer include notations marking these birthdays. Those same calendars do, however, clearly mark the third Monday of the month as President's Day a holiday established by Congress in 1968 as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill designed to give U.S. workers as many long weekends as possible. Originally meant as a way to establish a standardized celebration of George Washington's birthday, the 21st century holiday seems to have become little more than an excuse for giant car sales and, in the Northeast at least, extended skiing weekends. And the of course, there's Valentine's Day. It's billed as a celebration of love and promoted by candy makers, florists, card makers and jewelers as a reason to lavish gifts on those we cherish, but that isn't always the case. Young or old, Valentine's Day can often be a source of great angst. I remember being one of the few girls in my high school class to not receive a carnation sold to support the student council on Valentine's Day one year. Though I had no boyfriend at the time, I had foolishly harbored a secret hope that someone would send me one anyway. I learned that year that Valentine's Day isn't always a good day. Perhaps instead of considering it a day to celebrate love, we should look at the day as a harbinger of heartbreak. For many mid-life couples, this Valentine's Day may be just that. As the recent announcement that the 1970s pop singers The Capitan & Tennille were calling it quits after 39 years of marriage sadly illustrates, though many couples start out believing "Love Will Keep Us Together," in the real world, that isn't always the case. Recent reports have indicated that, though the general trend has been a drop in divorce numbers over the past 20 years, there's one age group that has seen a spike. Divorce rates have nearly doubled among couples ages 50 and older since 1990. There are plenty of theories as to why this might be occurring from a relaxation of society's attitude towards divorce to the "I want to be happy" mindset of the 1960s resurfacing among boomers to the change in women's economic status but no definitive answer. PRIME looks at this trend in this month's feature story, and talks with two divorce professionals who ahve written a manual to help those considering making a split work through the decision and the aftermath. In the case of the Captain & Tennille, there's rumors that medical costs may be behind the split, and that the decision may be more financial that emotional. That's another reason entirely, and perhaps, another story. Society presents us all with challenges, in life and in love. Some, it seems, can weather them better than others. Ah February. Who knew just 28 days could foster so much to consider?