via

happy valentine’s day!

i’m not going to post a traditional passage regarding valentine’s day today. there is such an epic amount of pressure to make this day perfect or memorable in some type of way. well, maybe not for everyone. certainly not for us…

when andrew and i started dating, we decided that we didn’t really want to exchange gifts for valentine’s day. admittedly, at first, i was jealous to see all of the gifts others around me received each year. i know it was petty to feel that way, especially since i was on board with no gifts. but i couldn’t help it. i moved on from this feeling, but have always harbored a little jealousy when i see a huge bouquet of flowers being delivered.

i was reminded, in a recent passing conversation, about what this day is really means; the little things make this day special. it’s not about the gift-giving. it’s about the hand-scribbled note that will undoubtedly be on either a post-it or a piece of leftover computer paper. it’s about the cheesy movie we’ll try to watch after the babies are sleeping but won’t actually get through because we’ll fall asleep ourselves. it’s about making homemade pizza together because that’s what we’ve done for nearly a decade every single valentine’s day. it’s about making special memories and traditions for our kiddos. because without all of these things, my valentine’s day isn’t complete. and because i want to teach my kids that valentine’s day is not about the expectation of material gifts, but more about showing the ones around us that we love them daily – even if it is as simple as saying it aloud.

so maybe you forgot today was valentine’s day or maybe you don’t have a gift or a card – that’s okay. just remember that even the smallest thought, even the words ‘i love you’ written on the back of an old grocery list you found in the junk drawer, still holds a lot of value to the other person. the smallest acts can make the biggest difference not just today, but every day.

love to you all.
xo