Valentine's Day Wishes

Happy Valentine's Day to the woman who gave me life, nurtured me, and protected me. On this day, and every day, know that I love you for always being there, staying home to raise me, getting me ready for school every day, and greeting me when I returned home. I love you for all the hours you spent coming up with crafts and activities to expand my creativity, and for the patience you showed when teaching me new skills. I love you for comforting me when I came home from second grade in tears because a friend hurt my feelings, for filling my belly with delicious meals, and for filling my soul with compassion and kindness. I love you for always being available to talk, and for making me feel like I'm the most important person in the world when we do. Thank you for being a strong, dedicated mother during my childhood, and for being my friend now. I am grateful for all you have done for me and love you more than I can say.

Happy Valentine's Day to the man who has always supported me, believed in me, and encouraged me to do my best. On this day, and every day, know that I love you for the countless hours you worked to provide for our family, and for being so present during the time you were at home. I love you for the Saturday mornings you spent introducing me to your music collection as I lay on the floor in your den, for taking the time to point out and replay the best guitar, drum or vocal solos, and for making delicious pancake breakfasts when the rest of the family woke up. I love you for setting such a strong example of what a father and husband should be, for always treating people with respect, and for searching for ways to better the lives of others. I love you for consistently opening my eyes to new opportunities, for instilling in me the confidence needed to jump at them, and for believing that I'm capable of anything I set my mind to. Thank you for being my silly twin, my joe-to-joe, my daboon, and the list goes on. I can't imagine going through life without you and am beyond grateful for all you do.

Happy Valentine's Day to the girl who filled my childhood with laughter, silliness and (mostly) fond memories. On this day, and every day, know that I love you not only for being my sister, but for the dear friend that you have become. I love you for that time we laughed so hard before we fell asleep at Pine Beach that our stomachs were sore the whole next day, for all the times we watched Sillyville together, and all the times we've acted like sillywhims. I love you for all the cards and notes you send me that remind me how special our relationship is, for our fun-filled sister days, and for the travel adventures we've had together. I love you for your constant support that remains strong whether we live close together or far away, and even when a haircut makes me look like your brother. I love that you have found a man that treats you like a princess and makes you happier than you've ever been, and that you have added this wonderful man to our family. Thank you for your dedication, not only to me, but to all of your family and friends, your education, and your career. I am incredibly proud of the strong, smart, beautiful woman you have become and will cherish you always.

Happy Valentine's Day to the incredible ladies who inspire me, motivate me, and accept me. On this day, and every day, know that I love you because (to botch some words from the Avett Brothers) you love me for the woman I've become and the girl that I was. I love you for the countless hours we've spent together, whether it be floating on the lake, talking on the phone, going out to dinner, exploring new cities, or just doing nothing but still having a great time. I love you for being there whenever I need you, for supporting me through good times and bad, and for making it feel like no time has been lost between our conversations or visits. Thank you for your adventurous spirits, your kindness, and for making me want to be a better person. I love each of you for the unique qualities that make you who you are and I wouldn't trade you for the world.

Happy Valentine's Day to the man I couldn't stop thinking about after the day we met, and who makes me smile every time I think about him now. On this day, and every day, know that I love you for your persistent optimism, the kindness you show to everyone you meet, and your handsome face. I love you for always validating and supporting my feelings, comforting me in sadness, and sharing in my happiness. I love you for kissing me in Thailand, traveling with me in Bali, and helping me write the most perfect love story I could imagine. I love you for your commitment to our relationship once we returned back to our normal lives, and for always looking forward, believing that we could make it work. Thank you for creating a life with me full of good food, passion, laughter, and memories that have only begun. I am the luckiest girl in the world to have you by my side, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my days loving you.

Marriage Musings: Always Kiss Me Goodnight

Welcome to the first installment of a series of posts I've decided to call marriage musings. This might be a little ambitious since, to date, I only have three ideas for what I'm going to include in the series, but I'm just going to push on anyways with the confidence that more will come with time.

For this first marriage musing, I'm going to have to come right out and say that our married life is going quite swimmingly. The other day, as we were watching our nightly episode of Six Feet Under, one of the characters made a comment about the first year of marriage being the toughest. We immediately exchanged a glance and noted that we have not yet felt that way. I attribute this to three things. First, we're undoubtedly still in that honeymoon phase you hear so much about. Secondly, I think we're still on cloud nine that we're actually together. In the same city. With no plane ticket ominously looming over our heads waiting to call one of us back home. No, now we're creating a home together, and that is a truly wonderful feeling. Lastly, I feel that we really work at our relationship, our connection and our communication.

I hesitate to use the word work, but because my thesaurus is failing me, I guess I have to. I hesitate because, though we do work at our marriage, it doesn't feel like work. I can honestly say that I enjoy the effort I put forth to make things run smoothly. When the husband is happy, I feed off his happiness. And when I know that I contributed to his good mood, that feels even better. The work is most definitely worth it.

Plus, a lot of our efforts are fun.

Over the summer, during one of my many trips to the Albert Cuyp Markt, I came across this piece of artwork slash photo display that, despite it's kind of ugly hodgepodge appearance, had a good message.

Always kiss me goodnight.

Of course! Began my inner monologue.

Of course I kiss my man goodnight every night. 
I totally do. Right? 
Yea, I do. I must. 
Why wouldn't I?

I decided that day to really pay attention to these goodnight kisses. It just made sense.

So now, each and every night, I make sure to set aside a special moment. I take the time to say goodnight, and give that handsome husband of mine a kiss. This tiny moment in time gives us one last chance to really connect before we fall asleep. And not only is it nice, it's almost therapeutic as it requires you to leave some of the stress of the day behind you. After all, to give a meaningful kiss, you can't be angry. To give a meaningful kiss, you have to be present. To give a meaningful kiss, you have to let yourself love and feel loved. That hardly seems like work.