What you do in the name of love

With Valentine’s Day approaching, people scurrying around like ants trying to find that special gift for their loved one, I had to talk to you about us.  You see, although we do celebrate Valentine’s Day, we don’t go crazy over it.  We show our love for each other daily, and find no reason whatsoever that Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be every day.  On Valentine’s Day we celebrate the day we got engaged, 10 years ago this year, more than the holiday itself.

Now with that said, I thought I’d share with you the things we do to show our love.  I will try not to make this all sappy and gooey with romance….

Every Wednesday morning Bo has a board meeting before work.  Neither of us are fabulous about waking up early, especially him, who thinks going to bed at midnight has nothing to do with him hitting the snooze button 10 times the next morning.  Every night, and even more so on Tuesday’s, I remind my wonderful hubby to lay his clothes out for the next day, to make sure he has what he needs and have it ready, and to remember to go to bed at a decent time.  Hello mom.  Yes, like most hubby’s he tends to let this go in one ear and out the other, and the next day is rushing around trying to look for socks, has to change the shirt he ‘thought’ was wrinkle free and damnit where is my belt.  But Wednesdays are the worst, because he has to get up earlier, he has to be ready earlier and has to leave earlier.  Normally he’s one of the last to the meeting, even with my loving guidance.  Well I came up with a plan last week when he was once again late, because he forgot it was Wednesday ~insert MAJOR eye roll here~.  On the top of the toilet, on the coffee pot and over the bar where he puts his keys, I put a love note.  It reads “Today is Wednesday!  I love you!”.  We cannot go off of today’s results, because I got up with him, eeek yes I did crazy I know.  But hey he was semi on time….

I wash his underwear, enough said.

I let him spoon me, even though the hairs on his legs tickle making me itch and his razor toe nails gouge my feet and legs.  He does apologize, but that doesn’t help the bleeding.  Ok so this one is kinda more for me because I love being held, and it bothers his shoulder (football injury) but those damn toes hurt people.

I listen to him talk about golf…..

I listen to him talk about World of Warcraft….

Now his turn:

He makes the coffee because my brain has issues remembering the combo of water vs coffee.  Even on days where he’s running late and won’t get a cup, he almost always makes it anyway.  Because he knows when I do, I make espresso.

He takes care of the litter box, because I deal with enough poop thank you.  Even though I promised that if he got me a cat I’d do it and he wouldn’t have to worry about it….shhh don’t remind him.

He puts the seat down, YES HE DOES!!! No I didn’t do this, he was trained before I got him. Thank you again Mom.

Then there is the crazy stuff he puts up with.  Having to check the house after we return, checking the doors before bed time, reminding me to take my pills and telling me that I did give the kids the right amount of meds.  He even stays home when we have a technician coming because I can’t handle being alone with a stranger.  He doesn’t complain when the house is messy and there are no dishes.  He doesn’t complain when he can’t find underwear or socks that match.  He nicely asks if I could do these things and leaves it at that. 

He listens to me talk about my books….both real published work and my stories.  And encourages me to follow my dream, telling me that it can’t hurt to see what would happen.

He listens to my day, even though all it concerns is poopy diapers, tantrums and time outs.  He even acts like he’s interested and finds it informative.

There are many ways to show your love.  It doesn’t mean roses, or chocolates or anything like that.  The little things we do to help each other throughout the day, the little things that we do to show we care, they happen daily or should. 

We say I love you 100 or more times a day.  We kiss and hug before leaving.  He comes up with cute little ways of saying how much he lives me like “If you took all the M&M’s ever made and ever will be made and added them up, it wouldn’t come close to how much I love you”.  We cuddle and talk about our day almost every night before falling asleep.  We do nothing without the others consent, if it involves one it involves both because we are a team. I tell him how hot and awesome he is everyday.  He tells me how beautiful he thinks I am and how great a job I do everyday.  A day does not go by that we don’t share how we feel. 

So try not to put so much into one day a year, and more into each day you have together.