True Love and Valentine's Day

 

I learned a very important lesson this week. I've dated and Dated all sorts of guys in my life. Heck, I even dated one guy on and off for two years in college. Yet, I somehow managed to have never had a date for Valentine's Day -- until this year, that is. And I was super excited!

I made too big a deal of it, and I was humbled by the lesson I learned. My boo is the sweetest, and he thoughtfully selected a gift he knew I would love: a bright red KitchenAid! 😍😍😍 (!!! Though I made sure he knew we couldn't have the bar set that high for future Valentine's gifts, or he'll be sorely disappointed! 😜) It's such a thoughtful, wonderful, amazing, and personal gift! But I placed too much emphasis on all the stuff; on all the things that don't matter. 

I was humbled on Tuesday as I reflected on my Stephen and how truly blessed I am to have him in my life. He is so, so wonderful to me! The latest example: I got really sick this weekend. Bed-ridden, sleep all day, and spend-my-nights-congested sick. On Saturday, he could have done anything: worked on his house, run his own errands, enjoyed his free time. 

Instead, he brought me a care package with soup, medicine, cough drops, Cheetos, nasal spray... NASAL SPRAY! And then he bought me Chinese takeout when I said I was hungry for more than soup, and he spent Saturday binge watching Harry Potter movies with me. If love isn't someone who takes care of me (nasal spray, people!), who puts my needs before his own, and who still wants to cuddle with me and spend time with me when I can't breathe and spend most of my time loudly bowing my nose, I don't know what love is. 

I am such a lucky, lucky girl to have a partner who gave me roses, chocolate, a KitchenAid, and a lovely date night on Valentine's Day, but I am ashamed by how much I had built this day up. What matters most isn't the chocolate, the flowers, and the material things society says I need from my man on a particular day of the year. What is most important is that I am blessed to have a man in my life who loves me 365 days a year, who cherishes me at my best and who stays by my side when I am at my worst. Who forgives me for the times I am selfish or unkind and who motivates me every day to be my best self. Who, when I tell him the Obamas are #relationshipgoals, goes and gives me a Valentine's Day tweet even though he NEVER posts to social media, because he cares about making me happy. What matters is that I am blessed and lucky enough to have My Person in my life; the rest is just stuff.

So every time I use my shiny new KitchenAid, I will remember the lesson I learned this Valentine's Day. I am so, so thankful for my boo. He is THE most important person in my life, and I'm so grateful he is My Person. 

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day, boo! 😘❤️️