Rock Hill’s India Hook Elementary School’s staff re-routed the morning traffic so that bus riders, walkers, and car riders could walk together from the nearby neighborhood in their Pirate Parade. The Rock Hill Police Department directed traffic, while parents and staff volunteered to supervise the event. Some students said they want to do it everyday.
Every year in February, men rush out to buy jewelry, flowers, cards, candy and more. They shower their wives and girlfriends with gifts, hoping to make a day she can remember all year long.
Wait, what? Why should she remember it all year long? Romance should be every day. No, not the candy-heart-eating, flower-sniffing romance. But the daily reminders that we are important to one another in a relationship.
Unlike the commercials tout, romance is also not limited to men being romantic toward women. Women need to make the effort to create romance as well, paying attention to the little ways she can bring closeness to the partnership, just as she expects him to do.
What matters to your partner? Does he really love a specific meal? Great, cook it on a Wednesday for no reason other than you love him. Does she love long soaks in the tub? Great, take the kids and go out for a while, giving her time to unwind without the constant demands from the little ones. This is romance.
Does he have an important job interview? Great, make sure he gets to bed early, has a nice breakfast ready in the morning, and ensure his clothing has been to the cleaners so he looks amazing and confident. Does she miss her best friend who lives six hours away? Great, surprise her—on a weekend when she doesn’t already have plans…and make sure you clean the house first—with a visit from the friend. This is romance.
Reminding your significant other that you love him or her shouldn’t break the bank and shouldn’t be a stressful time of searching and fretting over the “perfect” day. Romance encompasses the little things, the small gestures which tell your partner they matter. Not only should we do these things for our partners, but we should recognize the love with which they are done for us as well.
Do these gestures cost money? Sometimes, but not always. It might be as simple as holding hands or snuggling while watching a movie on TV, or it might be something as grand as buying him Super Bowl tickets or taking her on a trip she’s always dreamed of.
However, to limit romance to one day per year almost makes it seem like romance isn’t as important the rest of the year. We save up pennies to make a grand gesture in February, forgetting the importance of the daily and weekly reminders we all need from our loved ones.
Am I condemning Valentine’s Day? Absolutely not. I think it’s a fun holiday which should be celebrated in ways significant to those involved. I simply feel love and romance should be year round, not reserved for a huge showing on one day.
I challenge readers to pay attention, make the effort and discover the little things which would make your significant other feel special. Then a couple of times per week, give that foot rub, pick the wildflower bouquet, cook the special meal and snuggle during a movie. Keep love alive all year, and it can turn Valentine’s Day from stressful effort into a playful benchmark of a year of love.
