I completely missed Valentine’s Day this year. So did my husband. He works part-time at a local golf course as a Starter/Ranger, and he didn’t even realize it WAS Valentine’s Day until he got to work, and someone said Happy Valentine’s Day to him.

He quickly texted Happy Valentine’s Day, Baby! with three kissy face emojis. I laughed and returned the sentiment in a text back to him.

A counselor reading that story might consider that to be a warning sign in our marriage. We’re too busy to acknowledge Valentine’s Day? What could the root cause of that oversight be? To which my husband and I would respond, “We’re really not concerned about it. We’ll try again next year.”

The truth is…

I got very sick a few days before Valentine’s Day. We weren’t sure what I had, but the headache, fatigue, and constant cough kept us in separate corners of the house. Because I was sick, I couldn’t get to the store to select a card for him, and he’s frankly not the kind of guy that buys into manufactured holidays. He likes to bring me flowers for no reason at all just to let me know how much he loves me.

What was your Valentine’s Day like? Were you elated and treated to a romantic dinner, flowers, chocolates, or perhaps a trip to the moon?

As an avid Hallmark movie watcher, I can attest to the lure of romantic adventures with my beloved where we rekindle our relationship and stare into each other’s eyes for hours dreaming of a future filled with love and joy and unending bliss. Fortunately, I learned years ago (after my uber dream phase) that Hallmark movies are an excellent escape but not such a great way to set expectations for my own life.

It's about the little everyday things.

That’s not to say my husband and I don’t have adventures. They’re just closer to home. We do have romantic dinners at the local restaurant that can get us in and out in an hour. And we love each other more every day, not because we both spend hours planning extravagant getaways, but because we take time to bless one another with little everyday things.

Gary frequently drops off and picks up our drycleaning, 30 minutes away, so I can continue to write.
I take care of travel arrangements, which happen often since our four grown daughters live in four different states.
Gary runs the sweeper while I’m dusting before overnight guests arrive.
I cook (sometimes microwave…) the side dishes while Gary grills the meat.
I go to the driving range once in awhile with Gary because he loves to golf.
Gary goes to live plays with me because I love the theater.

You get the picture. It’s the everyday things we do for one another that help us feel like every day is Valentine’s Day, because isn’t Valentine’s Day supposed to be a time we show the ones we love the most how much we care? Why not do that on a regular basis?

Do not fear.

If you and your sweetheart didn’t get Valentine’s Day right this year either, do not fear. Your relationship is not in trouble. You’re just busy, and maybe you’re focused on the right things, the everyday kind of show-you-how-much-I-care things.

Here’s to making every day a holiday for the ones you love.

2025 is our year to thrive! Loving others better is a great place to start.