My husband smiled sweetly as he read the card I had given him for Valentine’s Day, and I’ll admit I was pleased I managed to hit the mark. While the process of getting out to purchase it had been monumental, my perusal of the card section left much to be desired.
See, I used to spend like thirty minutes searching through the Hallmark section, and I took great pride in finding the perfect Valentine sentiment for my love. Of course that was before our life had changed. Before our relationship had changed.
As it stood I had read less than a handful of cards, that I had happened upon accidentally, reminding me the holiday was near. Spurred forward and motivated to move quickly by a soon to wake baby, I had quickly grabbed the first one where I could agreeably say, “yeah, that sounds like us.”
Our Valentine’s celebration wasn’t spent over a candle lit dinner, or even alone for that matter. Delivery, not Digiorno, had been our romantic meal of choice, shared in our living room as little voices chattered at our feet.
I had asked for a steam mop rather than roses, and his gift had come in the mail at the last minute. No date night was had, and certainly no edible undergarments or whipped cream fantasies had taken place. The fact was Valentine’s Day was not what it used to be, and it had dramatically changed from when we first met and dated.
And I was so glad. The day that celebrated lovers had evolved into more for us, and it had changed as we had changed. But change isn’t always a bad thing.
Indeed our love had grown, and even as showing our affections to one another had become more challenging as our family and the responsibilities therein had increased, the fact remained that we still tried. That was what mattered most for the fact that we still celebrated our relationship despite the distractions said it all. We fought for our love story, and we dug in deep to keep passion alive. It takes dedication, perseverance, and a lot of creativity when kids are small.
So whether it was a handwritten note or a movie and pizza, the point was that we loved each other. Over the years spent building a family, and as time and parental duties tested and changed us, we still asked, “will you be mine?” We still celebrated Valentine’s Day, just in a new way.
Our lives-His Purposes, Ruthie's impressions says
good deal!