Instead of a pricey affair this Valentine's Day, I choose this instead....

This Thursday is Valentine’s Day. Instead of going out to a fancy restaurant, we chose to eat bacon cheeseburgers that we had once before at a local pub within walking distance. We might get in our two free weekly practice games at the lanes we bowl league at or we'll just watch some Archer on DVD. We’re not buying one another pricey gifts or doing anything out of the ordinary. Why? Some people are into that, we’re not. We choose to treat it as another chance to spend time together, as another simple date night. We don’t need a date on a calendar to celebrate our love, we do this throughout the year. I don’t offer the world on a silver platter, but instead I offer my mind, heart, and soul to the one I love. How do I best convey what’s going on inside the many facets of my mind? Well, usually I do this through the gift of poetry….

The ground is slick

The rain froze from the night before

Walking along as carefully as I can

About halfway there, I begin to fall

You catch me before my head hits the ground

Since you’ve entered my life

That’s how it’s felt

Before I hurt myself

There you are, catching me

Saving me from myself

My brain tries to make sense of this

From a mental and emotional perspective

You have had so many chances to run away

To rid yourself of the mood swings and insecurities

Would I have really been able to blame you if you had left?

You see something wonderful in me

A light in the darkness

The rainbow in my heart after the storm it raged

Holding my hand throughout it all

Always believing in me and in us

I have cried so many tears in the past

It was really hard at first to let that go

To trust, to let the walls of uncertainty fall

Looking in your eyes now

I see there’s no longer a need to hide from the world

You encourage my dreams

Push me to move forward

Melting away doubts in myself with your certainty

You have made me believe

In you, in us, and in me

If ever I question your feelings for me

I just have to stare into your warm brown eyes

They light up brighter than any star

They smile at mine

And pour out devotion, compassion, and love

The world around us doesn’t disappear

We don’t need to escape reality

We have learned how to dance in the rain

Smile and laugh through the rough moments

When the world grows colder, our love grows stronger

I could imagine a world where it was just the two of us

Everything is green beneath our feet

The air so sweet, tasting of cinnamon and honey

No harsh winds or rain to dampen our days

Sunshine and eternal peace

But that would be boring

And unrealistic

Nothing and no one is perfect

Embracing the difficulties and seeing your way through

That is when you realize how strong and how true love is

Adversity must be faced

Trials will come along

Do you last or do you break apart?

It’s not been long for us

But already we have faced so much together

Looking back through it

I know we made it because we had one another

Holding your hand in mine

Seeing the love in your eyes

I finally believe if it’s humanly possible, we will achieve it

So here we stand together

Ready to face what life has in store for us

Some things will be great and some not so wonderful

It’s going to be one heck of a journey

I am incredibly excited to see the path that lies ahead

~* This is my true gift to you this “Let’s spend unneeded money” day, my devotion and love. For Doug, yesterday, today, and for all the tomorrows we’re given. *~