Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I must admit...I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day. Maybe a little bit of my husband's cynicism has actually rubbed off on me over the years. According to him, Valentine's Day is a meaningless holiday created by people who sell chocolate, flowers, and greeting cards. In a way, I sort of have to agree.

I always received a Valentine's Day gift from my parents (and still do)! Thanks, Mom and Dad, :). I always celebrated with friends and boyfriends throughout the years. We got Will a gift this year...a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD, which he loves! So, I'm not a total Scrooge, but when you really stop to think about it what is the point of Valentine's Day?

Theron and I really don't get gifts for each other. We discussed this while we were dating and agreed that we'd rather do nice things to show our love and appreciation for each other throughout the year, rather than buying each other gifts one day a year just because it's Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong...if you love Valentine's Day, I'm not judging you. This is just something we decided before we even got married.

Here are my thoughts. I would rather my husband buy me flowers just because he feels like it or because he knows I would like them. Like a couple weeks ago, for example. I had a really rough day. Will was in a terrible mood and had thrown multiple temper tantrums that morning. By lunch time, I'd had enough. Theron came home to eat with us, and I lost it. I told him I quit. I said, "I am NOT cut out to be a stay at home mom!" I don't have the patience. I want to go back to work where people are nice to me. (I tend to get a little irrational from time to time). After patiently listening to my tirade, he gave me a hug and said, "I'm so sorry you're having a bad day. I hope it gets better." He went back to work, Will took a nap, and our day did get better. Theron was supposed to run that evening after work. Those of you who know him, know his running means a lot to him, and he's worked really hard lately to get back into shape. That evening, instead of running, he came home...with tulips...my favorite flower. He also brought me a box of Thin Mints...my very favorite Girl Scout cookie ever. He took Will to his room and played with him, so I could make dinner in peace and quiet. I love my husband every single day, but I appreciated him so much that night. He knew exactly what would make me feel better and sacrificed what he wanted to do in order to make me happy.

Folks, this is what true love looks like in my opinion. I am not perfect. My husband's not perfect. We get mad at each other, we argue, we don't love each other the way we should each and every day. But we do our best to put each other's needs ahead of our own, to forgive quickly and wholeheartedly, to show appreciation for one another, to do nice things for each other, to make each other laugh, to give each other space when it is needed, to support and encourage one another in our daily lives, to push each other to be better every day, to help each other pursue our goals and dreams. Simply put, we strive to love the way God first loved us. Obviously, we fail, but we pursue that kind of love anyway.

Marriage and relationships in general can be hard. They can take a lot of work. For us, we believe that the key to successful relationships is putting God first. When we are both seeking Him, we are growing closer to one another. When we even attempt to love each other the way God loves us, it is better than anything we could ever do on our own.

So, enjoy your Valentine's Day. I won't judge you. But I am constantly grateful for my Valentine who chooses to show me his love and affection throughout the year, not just on February 14th.