My Valentine

I'm a Valentine's Day hater.

Have always felt that today is a Hallmark holiday: the card and jewelery and flower and restaurant industries conspiring to make a major commercial event out of a day on the calendar previously associated primarily with a beheaded saint!  I'm generally of the opinion that a bouquet of wildflowers picked from the side of the road on an random day for no reason is a much more genuine expression of love than dozens of roses given on the day that social conventions dictate that roses should be given.

Himself is not a mushy or demonstrative kind of guy.  Never has been.  But there is no question in my mind that the man loves me.  For example:

When he goes to bed first in winter, he lies on my side to warm it up for me before I come to bed.  And he leaves a light on in the room so that I can see when I come in, no matter how many times I tell him to turn it off so he can sleep better.

He knows how much I hate being without an Internet connection, and always fixes the modem (or whatever) ASAP when the connection acts up.

He sends me a text to say 'good morning' every day from work without fail.  (He leaves before I get up.)  And later, he checks to see how my day is going.

If he sees a basket of clean laundry that isn't folded yet, he folds it without being asked.

He puts the kids to bed almost every night by himself, since by that time of day I've generally had enough!  All I have to do is kiss them goodnight.

He takes the dog out whenever it rains or snows so I don't have to.

Those kinds of things will never be on any Hallmark card, more's the pity.  But they should be.  Happy Valentine's Day to my real-life valentine...