Romance has changed a lot since the carefree days of being newly married and child free. The days of dining out on a whim or booking a spontaneous romantic weekend getaway are a distant memory. If it weren’t for the occasional social media post popping up on my news feed — from friends who have not yet had children — those days would be forgotten altogether. As I live my wonderful, yet chaotic, sleep-deprived life, I can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy viewing a friend’s glamorous child-free vacation, exciting late Saturday night out, or, better yet, relaxing Sunday morning in. The romance in these posts is easy to spot and isn’t lost in the everyday disorder that comes with the territory of having three little ones at home. With these posts bringing up memories of how connected we used to be, I can’t help but question, “Where has our romance gone?”
But when I take a second to breathe and actually look at the big picture, the romance in our relationship isn’t gone. It just looks a whole lot different. Our romantic gestures may no longer be exotic and overt. In their place are the small, everyday, relevant reminders of just how much we love each other. They may not be as grand, but they are just as romantic — and definitely worth recognizing and appreciating.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I thought I would say a big thank you to you, hubby, and all the amazing little things you do for me that have given romance a new meaning.
Thank you for getting me Starbucks on the weekends. You know that my grande, one pump of vanilla, soy latte is my one vice, and you get it right every time.
Thank you for always encouraging me to go out with my girlfriends — sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that I used to have a social life.
Thank you for celebrating everything about our relationship. Receiving a card on the day we met seven years ago made my day.
Thank you for letting me choose the movie most Friday nights and for watching so many chick flicks (although we both know you secretly like them).
Thank you for still opening my car door on the rare occasion we do go out for date night.
Thank you for loving every meal I cook for you, even when we’ve had chicken three nights in a row.
Thank you for saying “goodnight” and “I love you” every night before bed no matter what is going on in our lives.
Thank you for the random texts and phone calls throughout the day just to say hi.
Thank you for always making sure I have a fresh glass of water on my bedside table, even though I never drink it.
Thank you for being in a good mood 99% of the time (the 1% being when a Boston sports team loses).
Thank you for the times you’ve made me breakfast in bed. You know the way to my heart, and it starts with pancakes! (For future reference, it ends with shoes, handbags, or jewelry.)
Thank you for the days you bring home flowers just because.
Thank you for playing Scrabble with me even though I beat you every time.
Thank you for not chewing ice cubes out of your water glass because you know it drives me crazy.
Thank you for coming home from work every night in time for our family dinner.
Thank you for telling me I look cute when I haven’t slept all night, washed my hair, or put on makeup.
Thank you for our beautiful life together, our wonderful home, our three precious children, and for keeping the romance alive even if it looks vastly different than it did only a few years ago.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
