I hate Valentine’s Day. (Warning: gushy and mushy)

I need to qualify that—I’m all about the romance, and of course we always try to do something special for each other on Feb 14, but therein lies the problem. We always do special things for each other. We often text message each other, we tell each other we love each other several times a day, we call just to say hi, we hold hands, etc.

We have bought each other cards and special gifts “just because.” I know he is a major chocoholic, so I will bring him brownies from work whenever we have lunch catered in, etc. He knows I love orange juice, so he keeps it made in the fridge for whenever I get thirsty for some. He does the dishes every morning, and I thank him. I do the laundry, and he thanks me. We never lose appreciation for each other, or what we do for each other. We are the best of friends, and thankful for that relationship. We know that we could never be with anyone else—our idiosyncrasies have become so, well, uniquely idiosyncratic, that the puzzle pieces that we are could never fit exactly with any other, after all of these years. We are just ourselves with each other, and melted together so perfectly, very much at ease. And we KNOW that, and we APPRECIATE that, and we EXPRESS that appreciation every single day.

So then Valentine’s Day comes along. Most people (or so my therapist tells me) don’t do these things regularly. So they take a day once a year to gush about their love for their mate. They buy a $4.00 card that says all the things that their mouths don’t say, so their love can save that card and remember that one special February 14th when it was so romantic and special, and their mate told them everything they wanted and needed to hear. They go out to dinner, get dressed up, take time away from the daily grind and earmark some special time with no kids, no cell phones, etc. In Honor of Valentine's Day.

But see, we do that every day. Our kids go to bed early, and we have a Netflix subscription (that is well-used). We watch movies or even past seasons from shows we love on DVD nearly every night. Even a night spent working in the barn is usually good fun, with lots of conversation, silliness and definitely togetherness. We don’t need to celebrate our togetherness on one special day. We are always aware of our bond, and we nurture it every day because we like to, In Honor of Us.

But what would happen if I didn’t get him a card today? They are all so lame, they just say what I always say—that I am thankful every day for him in my life, that I love him so much, and I can’t imagine life without him, I thank him for our beautiful children and the life we have together. But what would one think if a wife did not get her husband a card or present on this Sacred Day? What would one think if a husband did not buy his wife flowers on this Sacred Day? What would they think at my work, if everyone else got flowers and I did not? Trouble in Paradise? Did he forget? Oh, now he'll "owe" her a double-sized bouquet! He's sleeping on the couch for sure! Not that we have to do it for others, but it does get to be a little about keeping up with the Jones'.

It’s a strange situation, I know. So here’s to an anticlimactic Valentine’s Day. I hope yours is as good as mine, which will be fabulous-- as good as yesterday.

P.S. Updated at 11:40 am: I just got a beautiful bouquet of a dozen red roses. So now I feel like a dork. But I still don't know what I should get him!