Valentine’s Day–I wanted to exchange my crockpot. What an incurable romantic, huh? So we went out to WalMart to trade the broken-lid one I just bought with an intact version in the bizarre snowing/not-snowing weather. We hit up KFC for our meal, inexpensive but still a treat. And we went home to eat and watch some shows and be together.
My husband and I usually have “non-traditional” holidays. That means we pay attention to what we care about, and not what the world says we should care about. We care about each other.
The last couple years, I’ve noticed my husband makes the effort to take me out on Valentine’s Day, so long as I want to go out. This is kind of a big deal for a couple of reasons:
- He would be more than happy to stay home pretty much anytime. He’s kind of that way.
- I don’t have to ask for this, make a big deal of it, or feel like I’m putting him out somehow.
- Even though the places may be overcrowded on holidays like VD, the weather may be messy and the whole deal it can be kind of a pain, he still suggests it. And he means it.
I do like to go out sometimes. While I wouldn’t necessarily ask for dinner out of Valentine’s Day because of the crowds, it’s gratifying to have the official “love” holiday acknowledged by the man I’ve loved and been loved by for so many years. Honestly, it would not be an issue if he didn’t want to go out. I am an adult, and can care for my own social needs. But more than the acknowledgment, more than whatever we do (or don’t do), his intention to please me and do something he knows I like–even when he’s not so into it–means a lot.
Love–on Valentine’s Day or any other–isn’t so much about the grandeur of the gesture. It’s not the flashiness of the gift, the romantic quotient of the evening or the cost of whatever is exchanged that matters. It’s caring about making loved ones happy. For him, it’s taking me out sometimes. For me, it’s being happy staying home sometimes.
People can make it so hard, but it really is much simpler than that. With a new crockpot and a few leftovers from KFC in the fridge, I feel like the most loved woman in the world.