An open Valentine to my wife

As a general rule, I ignore Valentines Day. Perhaps because of stuff like this. I think it is the most trite, ridiculous thing I can find...but bear with me to find out why.

If I only ever gave my wife flowers and/or chocolate on Valentines Day, her birthday and anniversary, I do not think that shows much. It shows I know when you are "supposed" to give them...but really, how much meaning is there in it?

Giving flowers/chocolate at those times is to caring about your wife what paint by numbers is to a Van Gogh. It may look good, but really...does it mean all that much? Maybe when you are seven...

Frankly, my wife is worth far more than that to me. Let me tell you a little about what makes her special.

When I have "one of those days", a truly awful, horrific, mind-blowing disaster where I am envious of how good he had it, and the he I refer to is the captain of the Titanic (or director of random Kevin Costner movie)...she makes it bearable.

When I have a good day, she turns it into a great day.

When I have a great day, she makes it unbelievable.

But even more...when I have a day that is not particularly bad, not particularly good, it is just...blah. Just another day like thousands of other days I have had with nothing to distinguish it...that is when she truly shines because she turns those days from "eh" into moments I treasure with every beat of my heart.

It is amazing how different I see her from the way she sees her self. She has something about her that she thinks of as a flaw, that she is constantly working on and trying to change...if only she could see she is already the most gorgeous, awesome lady in the world and I would not change a thing about her because changing some outward thing she does not like might change the truth of who she is...

I am thankful every day for the way she supports me even when at times we disagree with something. She comforts me when I am upset. She takes moments I want to share with someone and makes them awesome because I get to share them with her, I get to see these wonderful things through her eyes.

I guess the reason I ignore Valentines Day as a general rule is because if she does that for me...I want her to feel like every day is Valentines Day. I want those occasions I get her flowers or drop her a line, I want her to know those are not because of peer pressure or because the calendar and society tell me to...they are because that is how I feel about her.

Words cannot express it...but that makes it no less real.

Happy Valentine's Day.

And Goose...I love you.