When people think of Valentine’s Day, they usually think about chocolates, Hallmark cards, and intimate restaurants.  I’ll never forget one of the first staff meetings I attended several years ago.  The meeting was a couple days after Valentine’s Day, so the president asked us to go around the table and tell the team what we did to celebrate.  I was relieved that my husband had just pulled off a really great date that year, so I was proud to share my story when it was my turn.  But right after I told about my date, another staff member told the team that he and his wife were really busy that day so they met at Taco Bell for lunch.  I remember feeling sorry for him as I assumed he was trying to put as much of a positive spin on the story as possible.  A couple years later, my husband and I passed a very uneventful Valentine’s Day.  A Taco Bell date would have been a step up for us from what we did.  That year, I hoped that no one at work would ask for the details of our Valentine’s Day.

Thankfully, the quality of a marriage isn’t defined by the events of one day a year.  The quality of a marriage is reflected in all the hundreds and thousands of interactions you experience together throughout the year.  Valentine’s Day should be just one of many special moments.

Whether you are someone who likes fancy dinner dates, weekend getaways, a simple hand-written card, a Taco Bell lunch date, or just a long kiss and an “I love you”, there are opportunities to celebrate those moments many times a year, not just Valentine’s Day.

Begin today with a commitment to express your love to your spouse on a regular basis.  For your wife, consider bringing home flowers tonight instead of waiting until Valentine’s Day or offer to do one of the responsibilities she usually does, just to ease her load.  And when you do, let her know that you love her, and tell her why.

For your husband, consider making him breakfast in bed on a Saturday morning, buying a gift card to local golf course, or make a coupon for a 20 minute back massage.  It’s usually the small, but thoughtful things that stand out to us when they’re done just because.

Then for Valentine’s Day, go ahead and make plans together to do something special.  But don’t let it stop in February.  Look for opportunities throughout the year to bless one another in ways that are meaningful, so that you can experience many years of Valentine’s Days.