Valentine's Day is Looming

Well doesn't that sound ominous? I would like to think that after almost 26 years my husband and I are still madly in love and giddy with happiness and floating on air and.... oh who the hell am I kidding? We're comfortable. Sure we still love each other and there are times he'll call me and say he's on the way home and I'll still get that familiar flutter in my heart (chest? stomach?) But romance? The candlelight and exploding stars just don't seem to be there like they were 25 years ago. So Valentine's Day isn't the day we choose to celebrate our love. We do that every day. From "Good morning, how are you feeling" to "Scratch right here" or "I went to the store and look what I found for you." Lately it's keeping count of my medications for me so I don't miss a day or my applying his eye drops so they go to the right place. The little everyday things start to become so much more important than coming home to a dozen roses and a frilly box of candy.

Whether you've been married 26 years or 2 years, love takes on the meaning you give it. You find love in what matters to you at that time in your life. But your life, as well as your love, will constantly go through phases. With a young couple starting a household, the importance is on working hard, going to work, a phone call during the day from work, working to managing finances, and working to build the home you dream of. As you continue to building your family, your love is shown in raising your children together, sharing mealtimes, family outings and vacations, celebrating special moments and occasions that make your family strong. Empty nesters find love in other new ways such as preparing and enjoying quiet meals together, a loving glance over a quiet cup of coffee, holding hands while watching a tv show or movie, taking a trip you've planned for a long time or an evening out with dinner and a show. Then, one day, you wake up to the sound of running feet slapping across the floor, giggles and laughter and children bouncing on the bed, and you remember the grandchildren have come to visit. You cherish these new life moments together and realize that this is what it was all about - the continuation of your love, everything you've worked for and spent a lifetime growing. This is love.

So whether you've been together for a couple of weeks or a half century, cherish the phase of love that you're in now and those that you've passed through or can look forward to. Take some time to reflect on what matters in your life right now and what your love means to you. Don't just rely on a commercialized day to celebrate your love for each other. Make a point of celebrating that love every day. Every small act of love adds up to a lifetime of happiness, joy, commitment and togetherness. And that frilly box of candy? It's going to be 75 percent off on Feb 15th..... surprise your loved one with a special treat, not because the calendar says you should, but because your heart says you want to. It counts just as much, if not more!

Switching lanes, here's the Nail Art I'll be rocking this week..... pink for love and flowers because those old groundhogs promised Spring is on the way!!!

The flowers I used were water transfers (not to be confused with stickers!!) and you can find them really inexpensively at the Born Pretty Store here....



Enjoy your Valentine's Day and celebrate the love with your friends, children, parents, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, cousins..... just love someone! Then do it again the next day. And the next. And the next........