choosing love

I meant to write this post on Valentine's Day, but fittingly, I am many days behind.  Andrew hates Valentine's Day.  Like many, he finds it too commercial and product driven to be special in any way.  We have never really "celebrated" on February 14th.  Nonetheless, we always buy each other cards.  And while there are countless sappy cards to be perused, I always end up leaning towards humor.

You see, none of the serious cards really get it right for me.  They talk about love as a feeling.  An emotion.  Something that exists.  But really, love is a verb.  And like other verbs (think walking, running, sitting, standing), loving is something you must choose to do.  I find that love isn't something you feel, it's something you choose.  And more importantly, you don't choose it once...you choose it every single day.  Every morning, you wake up and choose love.  When you protect your relationship, you choose love.  When you honor your partner, you choose love.  When you serve your partner, you choose love.  So if I were to write a Valentine's Day card, it would go something like this:

"Today, I choose to love you.  And I promise that tomorrow when I wake up, I will choose to love you again.  And for as long as I live, each day I will choose love.  I can't promise that I will always do it well, but I promise that I will always try.  I will make choices that protect our marriage.  I will seek ways to serve you, to show you my choice of love.  And I pray that when you look at me, with all my faults that only you know, you will choose love as well.  I choose you.  I love you."

To Andrew, my forever Valentine, thank you for choosing love better than any person I have every known.