valentine’s day has never been a big deal for me. i was inclined to agree it was hyped up, clichéd and commercialised. if in essence, it was about romantics expressing their deepest emotions to the love of their life, i would argue, they shouldn’t wait for one day of the year to show how they felt. i guess valentine’s day just never made sense until i met you.
then valentine’s day became every day of the year (or close to it!). our marriage is far from perfect, i know it. but mostly because we are two very selfish, self-centred creatures. the love i offer you pales against the love described in 1 corinthians 13. we are two different people and it takes time to acknowledge that God designed us that way. not to divide us, but to complement each other. it’s a given that we will not fluently speak each other’s love language. i am also learning that my greatest need is to be loved, while your greatest need is to be respected.
they say being in love or the “tingles” does not last forever. but you certainly do a great job of keeping my love tank filled. you shower me with affirmation and encouragement. you pull me away from overworking myself to death by taking me out on dates. a simple coffee and chat weaves such magic into my tough days. you believe in me and cheer me on in my interests, my career… our dreams.
valentine’s day urges people to go a little over-the-top to express their feelings to their beloved. and because of you, my dear valentine, i now understand why.
[thrilled to celebrate 19 months of "tingles" this week; photo from toronto, jan 2008]
[recommended reads: love & respect: the love she most desires; the respect he desperately needs by emerson eggerichs; five love languages by gary chapman; and 1 Corinthians 13 in the Bible]
