Be Mine.

February 14 – Valentine’s Day. It’s a holiday you either love (no pun intended) or despise. It really depends on where you are in your life: in a loving committed relationship, still looking for that perfect mate, or healing from a relationship that didn’t work out. So, for the purpose of this post, let’s assume that Valentine’s Day is a holiday happily celebrated by couples in committed and loving relationships.

This will be the 29th Valentine’s Day I will celebrate with the man I promised to love and cherish for the rest of my life. We have celebrated this infamous day of love with bouquets of flowers, heart-shaped balloons, and boxes of chocolates. And, of course, thoughtful red and pink cards professing our love and admiration for each other.

Truth be told we stopped exchanging Valentine’s gifts nearly ten years ago. I really can’t explain to you the reason for this long pause. I believe as a seasoned couple, our love for each other outgrew balloons and chocolates. However, we do still exchange Valentine’s cards that still make me giggle with delight.

Although we don’t exchange token gifts anymore, we do show how much we love each other. Everyday.

Examples how my husband shows his love for me:

·         Before I get into bed, he lays down on my side to “warm it up” because he knows I hate getting into a cold bed.

·         He texts me once or twice during the day to remind me how much he loves me.

·         He knows my somewhat complicated Starbucks order by heart.

·         He always unloads the dishwasher in the morning before leaving for work.

·         He cooks on the weekends.

·         He watches Hallmark movies with me…without unnecessary comments about “formula” plots. I already am aware!

·         He dutifully decorates the exterior of our home for Christmas because he knows I enjoy it.

Examples how I show my husband how much I love him:

·         I make him Blueberry Buckle just because.

·         I make sure there are no errands, tasks, or distractions of any kind during the baseball playoffs.

·         I, without his knowledge, contracted the lawn service for our home.  See above.

·         I dutifully maintain the kitty litter because he has a “gag” reaction to the process.

·         I let him “own” most of the Sirius XM stations in our cars.  I am allowed one.

·         I watch baseball, football, and basketball games with him without unnecessary comments about “it’s just a game.” He is aware.

·         If there’s a new Star Trek or Star Wars movie to be seen, I make certain we have IMAX tickets. Just because.

So, I guess you could surmise that in our household almost every day is Valentine’s Day. I know I am loved and my husband knows he is loved too. Truly, it’s not about gifts and grandiose gestures. Instead, it is the small, almost insignificant, unscheduled moments that continually remind us the feelings and commitment we share with each other.

Sure, go ahead and exchange heart-shaped cards and boxes of chocolates. However, realizing the needs and likes of your spouse truly shows the love and care that you share. And if you are puzzled about the “what” and “how” of the aforementioned statement, perhaps you have some work to do on your relationship. I write this with love.

Celebrate love!

Be chill.

Ellen