My daughter reminded me tonight of my first Valentine’s Day with her father. It was a snowstorm similar to this in 1994…

I made him a mixed tape… of love songs that reminded me of him…I agonized over it. Then the phone call…praying I would say the right thing. That he would like me for me. All other guys to that point only wanted me for physical things. Or used me to get even with their girlfriends. My track record was horrible…and heartbreaking.

As the power went out, our phone lines dead. I missed his voice. His smile. Our first four weeks of dating were during Christmas break. Our first date New Year’s Eve. The dreaded Valentine’s Day held such high expectations. I wondered if my tape would be enough.

My boyfriend (aka now husband) gave me the biggest surprise of all, he paid a florist extra money to drive her 4×4 out to me and give me flowers and a stuffed bear…on Valentine’s Day. With a card that read “I love you and stuff; happy Valentine’s Day.” (I still have the bear and the card)

It’s ironic to say…I fell in love with him that day. It is true. Cheesy. A Hallmark movie. True. My heart melted.I have never looked back. 26 years together, 24 years married, two children later. I have no regrets. Just a love with my best friend. A romance to base all my stories on. My fiction rings true in that I have experienced true love. I do experience it each day with my best friend.

Something, I have learned though. Valentine’s is just one day in many. You should cherish your husband, partner, friends each day. Not only on this day. Love should be shared throughout the year with friends, family, and your spouses. Consistently, and regularly. Relationships need to be cultivated, and appreciated. We never know how much time we have on this earth. We should share that love.

That is all I have tonight friends. Happy Valentine’s Day… writing and life are a work in progress…(just like me)😉