Valentine’s Day. A day set aside to celebrate love. And sell cards. And flowers. And chocolate. And jewelry. And cupcakes. Valentine’s Day can be pretty expensive.

Valentine’s Day can carry a heavy weight of expectation. Wives expect their husbands to show their love with something from the above mentioned list. Maybe even multiple things. Guys are expected to plan the perfect date, with perfect dinner, perfect romantic ambiance. Rarely can anyone meet the lofty expectations placed on them for this one holiday. My opinion? The only truly happy ones are the florists, restaurant owners, jewelry stores, bakers, candy and card sellers. $$$

I love my husband dearly. I appreciated the cupcakes he bought for me last night. They were delicious!! I always love the sentiment of the cards he buys for me (but even more, the love expressed in the little notes)…but, don’t tell him this, I would love him just as much even without the cupcakes and card. Because my love isn’t tied to what he buys for me. Long ago I decided that I don’t need a special day to celebrate his love for me…because he treats me so well every single day. I learned that placing high expectations on another human being sets him up to fail and me up for disappointment. No one can meet the fantasy we build up in our minds. Something always goes wrong…flowers die, chocolate gets eaten, even jewelry fades eventually. But the strong and steady presence of a true love is based on relationship…it cannot be bought.

So no matter your place in this world (dating, married, single again), lower your expectations for a particular day and raise your awareness of how you express and receive love. Because the BEST love is unconditional and sacrificial…without expectation for reward or perfection…perfectly expressed through the model God gave us through His Son, Jesus.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  ~ John 15:12-13