Over the years, Valentine’s Day became a little mundane to us. After so many years of being together and living together, Dave and I have come to truly appreciate the daily-ness of our love and our life together. Having Valentine’s Day seems a little less private and a little less original than the holiday had intended (outside of Hallmark, I mean). It is the consumerist’s style of manipulation to make something as private and intimate and personal as the relationship between two lovers into something so publicly celebrated and flaunted. So, although sometimes Dave and I recognize the holiday for what it is, most of the time, we tend to live it like we live every other day. We tend to like our anniversaries and our birthdays more, because they seem more personalized and more special to each of us, to our family. While I love the idea of celebrating love, I don’t like to celebrate it with so many people. It sort of defeats the intimacy of the love itself, in my opinion.

Though, having said that, I really enjoyed the heart-shaped toast with pancakes and eggs that my husband had made for me today, in a celebratory gesture of the holiday. We didn’t get each other anything this year, as we usually celebrate on our anniversaries, and kisses and hugs more than suffice. The fact that we’ve been together for so long is in and of itself enough for celebration everyday, I think. I enjoy being appreciated, being acknowledged for my half of our contribution to uphold this family. I enjoy getting random kisses and the small moments of flirtation that we still have, after being together for so long. I enjoy having daily reminders that he loves me. I would rather have small doses of appreciation and love everyday than a giant dose of a present or a dozen roses just once a year.

So, maybe I’ll get some more heart-shaped toast another time. Regardless, I know he loves me, and I know he appreciates me, and there’s nothing more I could ask for.

Except maybe a epson receipt printer. Just kidding.