Happy Valentine's Day....Now Get Out!

Nine years ago, one day after witnessing two close friends profess their undying love for each other, on what is deemed the "most romantic" day of the year, I took a good look at the person I married and said, "I've had this all wrong.  I have been waiting for you to decide whether you love me enough to stay when it should be me who decides.  Happy Valentine's Day, now get out!"

Best. Valentine's Day. EVER.

For the record, I am the biggest advocate for love and romance and would never begrudge a happy couple their constant euphoric state.  In fact, I still hold eternal hope in my heart that I will find my forever after with a man who adores and cherishes me every day of the year, not just February 14th.  And I believe I will find it, however daunting it may seem at the moment.  

What I realized that particular Valentine's Day was I deserved better than what I was being given and I was letting it happen to me.  It was an empowering moment, as I mentioned in my previous post, Pivotal Moments. That realization hit hard as I watched one of my closest childhood friends say "I Do" to her best friend.  He looked at her with unwavering love that oozed from his soul.  His eyes lit up when she floated into the room and continue to light up to this day.  Individually, both are amazing but, together they are a perfect blend of everything you read about in stories. No matter how dark the day is, the sun shines for them.  No matter how few pennies they have, they have an abundance. They hold each other up when they stumble and lift each other up when they fall. Two souls that found each other and will never part. I was in awe and when I figured out that I could have this too, my mind was made up. 

That Valentine's Day, instead of shedding tears for what I didn't have, I decided it was time to fall in love with me again. I finally saw my worth through their vows. Something clicked inside me. It wasn't anything they purposely did. They were just in LOVE and wanted to be in love.  And that gave me hope.

So this Valentine's Day, I am holding up a glass and toasting all the couples in my life who have weathered the tempestuous waters of life, who continue to see the worth in one another and who continue to choose to share their life with a person that makes them better today than yesterday.  

love. Love. LOVE.  Ain't it grand?

Talk to me!  Love is more than chocolates and roses, what does it mean for you?