Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is Valentine’s Day, so if you are just catching on to this, then you still have time. Go out and buy a card, flowers, candy, something to give to those in your life that you love. It doesn’t have to be big, but it does need to be something. Even if your wife says, “I don’t need anything,” then she really doesn’t mean it. You need to buy her something. You need to give your kids something. Doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive, but anything that says, “I love you,” and you mean so much to me. I don’t care if Valentine’s was started by card companies wanting to sell more cards. It is an opportunity for us to express our love for one another, so let’s be all over that.
As the dad of three daughters, I go all out on Valentine’s Day. I mean all out. I don’t want some hairy-legged boy coming to whispering sweet nothings to my girls and they fall for it because they never felt loved at home. Hopefully, the right boy will come along one day, but I don’t want them settling for some clown. I want them to know they are loved and I want them to have a high standard. They are incredible, and they should be treated as such.
So, on Valentine’s, I always give them flowers, chocolates and balloons in the morning. Then, Lisa and I go to lunch. We have our Valentine’s lunch date, and I love being with my wife. I want her to know that I would choose her all over again. She is amazing, kind, beautiful and the perfect wife for me as well as the most awesome mom to our precious girls. Then, we all go out to dinner. I have to make reservations months in advance to have a place for the five of us (well - tonight four :( because Grace, our oldest, is in college - but she did say she really misses Valentine’s Day with us, so I had her Crumbl cookies delivered).
Dinner together on Valentine’s is always a special time. We all get dressed up. We take pictures and go to a nicer place. During dinner, we talk about our best Valentine’s and Date Nights together. We relive Daddy Daughter Balls, Vacations, Breakfast dates at Waffle House and laugh a lot. Then, before dessert, we open our cards to one another. We read them aloud one at a time. Then it is onto dessert.
After dinner, we come home to some fun gifts (usually a stuffed animal from me to the girls and something a little nicer for Lisa :)). After this, I tell each of them how much I love them. The words, “I love you,” are not implied - they need to be said often. Then, I pray for all of us together as a family. Finally, we always cap the night with “Chocolate Roulette.” This is where we take the assorted chocolates, close our eyes, and spin the box, everyone has to pick a chocolate up and then we all have to eat it. Sometimes it is good - the chocolate on chocolate ones - and sometimes it is terrible - the weird filling ones. Then, we laugh and laugh at who gets the terrible one as they spit it out in the sink.
Wherever you are in life, you can have fun. I know Valentine’s can be hard if you are single or in a tough place relationally. But, we can all figure out some way to use this day to laugh and even bless someone else. Reach out to your mom, a sibling, a friend, or a co-worker and tell them you love and care for them today. As Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Let’s grow in our love and bless others today. Why? Because God is actually the One who created love. He wants us to excel in this area. So, let’s use today to show our love and God’s love to others. I am so thankful for each of you. Know God loves you and I do too! Have a great day! You are loved!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Comments