Being in a relationship has turned me into a Valentine's Day convert; whereas I used to think the holiday was just a way for smug couples to flaunt their happiness in the face of every unhappily single person out there, now I see the occasion as a way of celebrating our love, and the good fortune that we had in finding one another. Yet, this year, for our third Valentine's Day together, we scarcely did much in the way of marking in the occasion. For our first Valentine's Day, there were flowers, cards, and a trip to the theater. We spent our second Valentine's Day in New Orleans, exploring the atmospheric city hand-in-hand and eating muffulettas in bed. This year, we exchanged cards and stayed home to eat leftovers.
Does that mean the romance is dead? I don't necessarily think so; after all, we ate our four times in the past two weeks for Restaurant Week, which wasn't inexpensive despite the deals, and tomorrow, we are leaving for Washington DC for a long weekend getaway, which will be expensive as well. If I weren't still in the initial probationary period at my job and had some actual vacation time, I would have tried to make this a proper Valentine's Day trip as well, but under the circumstances, I was just happy to be able to get out of town at all.
Just because we're not making a big fuss on the actual day of Valentine's Day doesn't mean we're any less in love. In fact, I take time every day to pause and reflect on how thankful I am to have Justin in my life. I've never really believed in the concept of soul mates, because it always struck me as a little depressing to think that there is only one person out there in the entire world that is right for you. What if they die before you ever meet them, or you never find them at all? However, even if I don't believe in the idea of finding "the one," I still feel that Justin and I are about as compatible as two people can be.
I love his silliness, his compassion, his generosity, his intelligence, and his stories. I love to talk with him, listen to him, look at him, kiss him, smell him, touch him, and just generally occupy the same space as him. I love that I get to begin and end every day with him. I love that the things about us that would be seen as faults by others actually bring us together and strengthen us. I love him mind, body, and soul, and I want to spend the rest of my life loving him the same way that I do right now, and building upon that love.
Happy Valentine's Day, babe!
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