With Valentine’s day on the horizon, it serves me well to remember that I’m a very lucky girl. Every day my honey demonstrates his love in so many ways I can hardly count them. Today, for example, he took me out to lunch—treating me at a restaurant where they offered a two-for-one special, until the 25th of the month. He didn’t even ask me to pay my share and we had enough leftovers to bring home for dinner—four meals for the price of one. He’s so thoughtful like that. I’m always overjoyed when I don’t have to cook dinner and, as a bonus, there were only serving dishes to wash up after; no pots and pans.

Sometimes he takes me to the movies too. And because he knows I don’t like to share my goodies, he lets me buy my own popcorn and Diet Coke. To show my appreciation, I often order the larger size popcorn so I’ll have some left over to bring home for him to munch on while he’s watching football. Which brings me to another example of his devotion. He watches television with wireless headphones so I’m not subjected to endless excruciating hours of listening to football, baseball, golf, hockey, car auctions and old westerns. What a guy!

Even our little Yorkie prefers lavishing all her love and attention on my husband rather than me. So, in order to prevent me from feeling neglected or left out, he allows me to be the full-time dog-walker to ensure I get my share of quality time with her. In our nearly twenty years together he’s never once walked the dog and if that’s not a clear indication of his love and consideration for me than I don’t know what is. He gets his own quality time though when she marches back and forth on his back in bed at 6:00 a.m. while he’s still sleeping and sticks her tongue in his ear to remind him it’s time to go outside. You see, life has a way of rewarding the love.

When I do the laundry he allows me to keep whatever loose change I find in the washing machine after I’ve washed his golf clothes. It’s mine to blow however I wish. Same thing for the coins I find under his giant LaZboy when I move it to vacuum. He’s incredibly generous that way so I usually take my haul and head straight for DQ and treat myself to a blizzard—or ‘buzzard’ as he calls them. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

When he stops at Costco on the way home after a morning of golfing to pick up his bushel of Chicago popcorn or his favourite fruit danishes, he usually springs for a hot dog and Diet Coke which he brings home to me for lunch. Sometimes it’s Five Guys’ fries and Diet Coke for a bit of variety. He always makes sure to surprise me with these little gourmet treats.

During a discussion once about our impending and eventual respective deaths, he announced that if I weren’t on the scene, he’d be living on a boat on Marco Island in Florida. You have to agree; that’s quite a sacrifice he’s made on my behalf (knowing I want nothing to do with living on a boat). The guy’s just overflowing with love for me.  We’re the perfect yin and yang.

As we celebrate Valentine’s Day we are reminded that sharing your life with another person includes daily demonstrations of mutual love and affection. It always warms my heart to wake up in the morning and find the tea already made and waiting for me in the pot on the kitchen counter—with three bags because I like it strong. He makes sure my car is always gassed and washed.

More importantly, receiving the love of another person means appreciating what they bring to our lives in less obvious ways. He’s kind when I’m grumpy; supportive when I’m feeling beaten; he listens to my complaints, celebrates my joy; helps me make it through my days and nights. When I count the many ways he demonstrates his love for me, I feel like I hit the Valentine jackpot and for that I’m thankful every day of the year. What does your Valentine do to show his or her love? Are you as lucky as I am?

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