Well, our plans have been made for the most romantic day of the yeaR. I can't wait to go see the movie Wonka! My gorgeous husband has never seen any of the films about the famous chocolate factory, and I've seen both of them a few times. He's not really a big movie guy; while I absolutely adore movies -- another in our long list of opposite qualities. But that's okay: we have fun. And just as an aside, I also created a customized book from LoveBook, and he loved it! It is really the coolest thing.
What about you? (For those of you with a partner.) Do you have any plans for the big V-Day coming up?? Is it excitement or dread that you feel? The only day in our culture dedicated to romantic love can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, it seems like such a good idea to celebrate love. How exciting and beautiful! And it is, but on the other hand, if our love has grown distant or even hostile, this holiday can feel like an accusation. What's wrong with our marriage? Why aren't we as romantic as..... that couple?
So, naturally, we count on this special holiday to fix what's wrong, as if a candlelight dinner and twelve plants could cure a year of conflict and angry words. And when an argument ensues right in the middle of all that romance, we're devastated. (Yes, I am speaking completely from experience!) It can be a lot of pressure when we view Valentine's Day as a magic spell to wash away our romantic woes.
But what if...we stopped? Stopped looking at Valentine's Day as the answer to our relationship problems? As the one opportunity for our man has to make things right? And when those things don't happen, another chance to be extremely disappointed?
What if, instead, Valentine's Day was just meant to be, well, fun? With no pressure? Reasonable and within budget? A time to laugh and be silly, maybe while being nicely dressed? To be yourself? And let your man be himself? If that means dressing up, then great! But if not, allowing it to be more low-key, all the while focused completely on whatever love is there. Not what isn't there.
If you can't go for a fancy dinner, make it fast food at a place you've never been, and make fun of the decor. If you can only slip away for an hour because of the kids, enjoy a cup of joe and grab your partner's hand. And if you can only stand to spend thirty minutes together without fighting, spend thirty minutes and leave it at that. But appreciate that half hour for being special without expecting anymore.
What if, instead, Valentine's Day was just meant to be, well, fun? With no pressure? Reasonable and within budget? A time to laugh and be silly, maybe while being nicely dressed? To be yourself? And let your man be himself? If that means dressing up, then great! But if not, allowing it to be more low-key, all the while focused completely on whatever love is there. Not what isn't there.
If you can't go for a fancy dinner, make it fast food at a place you've never been, and make fun of the decor. If you can only slip away for an hour because of the kids, enjoy a cup of joe and grab your partner's hand. And if you can only stand to spend thirty minutes together without fighting, spend thirty minutes and leave it at that. But appreciate that half hour for being special without expecting anymore.
So, this year, it's a movie and dinner at the food court, and I can't wait! We hardly get to the city anymore, so I relish the time to people-watch and hang out. And I honestly can't remember the last time we spent a couple of hours in the dark staring up at the gigantic screen together. To me, Willy Wonka and all of the magic of that story is one of the best stories ever told. I love the ending message that one special chocolate bar really can't fix all your problems and that depending on all that glamour can lead to a lot of frustration and disappointment. Sound familiar?
What about you? Any plans for the big day coming up soon? Share below what you're planning on this year.
0 Comments