Today I’m getting kind kind of mushy. Valentine’s Day sometimes does that to me, and since I didn’t get my husband anything to mark this romantic occasion, I thought writing him an open letter would be just the thing to warm the heart of my very private, non-blogging sweetheart. Enjoy!

Honey,

Since tomorrow marks our 13th Valentine’s Day together, I wanted to do something really big to show you how much I love you. Everyone knows thirteen is a special number, that it’s lucky or something. Or is it unlucky? I can’t remember. Anyway, I still want to do something special for you. No, not that. The time has come for you to finally accept that that is never going to happen. What I’m going to do is even better! This year, I’m writing you a letter, and sharing it with a bunch of strangers. How’s that for romance?

You know that I love you. That I consider our relationship to be my greatest blessing. I fell in love with you hard, I knew early on that I wanted to marry you, and I have never regretted becoming your wife. Our relationship has always been easy. Some days have been easier than others, but most of our fights are over roommate stuff, and I have always felt safe with you. Even though your teeth sometimes touch your fork (which you know makes me batshit crazy), and you think it’s okay to leave your dirty socks on the living room floor, I know I married up. Everyone else knows it, too. I remember seeing the visible relief in my dad’s face when I brought you home that first time.

So as we weather our relationship’s teenage years, I want you to know I still appreciate so many things about you.

10 Reasons You’re Still My Valentine

1. You suffer (mostly) silently in your wrinkled shirts because I am terrible at folding laundry in a timely manner, and the suggestion that I get out the iron would make me die laughing.

2. You let me think I’m doing my part when I shovel the snow off of our four front steps and you shovel the walkway, the driveway, and the back patio.

3. You watch The Mindy Project with me, even though you don’t think it’s delightful and hilarious like I do. In fact, you think it’s dumb. You know what? You’re dumb! Oh honey, you’re not dumb. I’m sorry. You know how protective I am of my shows.

4. You buy me Swedish Fish for Valentine’s Day. (This is a reminder to buy me Swedish Fish for Valentine’s Day.)

5. When we were living in different cities after I graduated from college, you drove five hours each way every weekend to see me. Good thing you still had your mom’s gas card. Thanks, Linda! I hope the two grandchildren we made for you are payment enough for the gas money we spent.

6. Even though you have a PhD and work for a prestigious university, you favor t shirts instead of tweed blazers with elbow patches.

7. You co-created my very favorite boy and girl.

8. You edit my posts, even when you have been writing and editing your own papers or grant proposals for hours. I know you much prefer sports blogs to my blog, but would it kill you to crack a smile once in a while? And if I leave another woman’s page open on my computer and you read some of it, don’t even think about laughing. Are you crazy? You think she’s funnier than me? Don’t you know that’s like another man touching your grill?

9. Sunday, when I was hungover from our blizzard party, you walked in the unplowed street to the closest gas station to get me a Diet Pepsi. That was after you got me a Diet Coke from the neighbors. It’s things like that that make me want to walk through fire for you. That make me willing to do that one thing. No, not that one thing. Seriously, let it go.

10. You tolerate my writing about all sorts of things that you consider too personal to be sharing with the world, including this post. You are a good sport, and while you probably never imagined my inappropriateness would be shared on this sort of scale, you support me anyway.

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!