Treat Every Day Like Valentine's Day

Hi, friends!

I hope you had a great Valentine's Day! Whether you spent it with a significant other, family, pets, or your awesome self, I'm guessing something chocolate was involved. :)

Jared and I had dinner at home (with fake candles on the table for extra fanciness) followed by several rounds of Boggle and some chocolate cake. For the record, I beat Jared at Boggle and I'm pretty excited about it.

You may think that sounds a bit lame; I prefer to think of it as low-key. There's nothing wrong with heart-shaped treats or enormous teddy bears, but we shouldn't rely on those kinds of things in order to feel loved. One dedicated day of roses and expressing your feelings is wonderful, don't get me wrong. It's fun to get special treatment and find ways to spoil your partner! However, there's also nothing stopping us from doing that kind of thing (on a smaller scale) all the time.

Jared has never come home from work to a trail of rose petals leading to a beautiful dinner set up in the dining room. He has come home to find me curled in a ball on the couch with a bottle of ibuprofen nearby, and his immediate concern and desire to somehow help meant more to me than any pretty plant ever could.

Another time, I was making some Top Ramen and something came up while it was still on the stove. Jared thinks instant ramen is nasty – which is fair – so he didn't realize that you're supposed to add the flavor packet before straining. He knows I usually strain most or all of the liquid, so he strained it for me while I was away and then added the packet. It was really salty, but metaphorically very sweet.

We can and should celebrate the birth and resurrection of Christ when it isn't Christmas or Easter. Similarly, the spirit of a holiday about love can stay with us throughout the year! Love isn't built on grand gestures; everyday interactions can be just as meaningful, if not more so. You don't need an excuse to do something nice for someone you love. And flowers are probably cheaper when it isn't a holiday, so there's that, too.

If you love someone, remind them of that frequently. Refill their water bottle, hug them for no specific reason, set up a video call with them, show up at their door with cookies, or send them a link to something that made you think of them. Don't wait until next February 14th (or Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc.) to express your love to the people that mean a lot to you.

Love,
Lizzie