ADDING VALUE TO YOUR VALENTINE
Valentine's Day provides the perfect opportunity to share the love you have for your spouse. This day is more than buying those expensive gifts, the bundle of roses, the tasty chocolates, and the romantic gestures. C'mon, what's not to like about all those things! February 14th is about having a special day to continue the love building in your marriage. If you are looking to add value to your special "Valentine", then read on...
Monty & Jeannine Mora
2/3/20243 min read
We Love Valentine's Day
We'll be the first to admit that we love Valentine's Day and the romantic atmosphere it sets. For us, it is more than a commercialized Hallmark holiday. It has been one of our favorite holidays because it provides another opportunity to share our love, our life with each other. This year will be our 30th Valentine's Day together and it still holds up to one of the best days of the year. We don't mind spending the money on cards, gifts, and dinners, because we see it as another opportunity to "show up" for our spouse, and date them. It's a great time to connect, engage in romantic communication, and build your lifelong friendship.
A Little History Lesson of Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is about a person named Saint Valentine. It was a fairly common name during the days of late antiquity. As historians recorded it, the Saint Valentine of Valentine’s Day was about a man (or a couple men named Saint Valentine) who preached the gospel in Rome in the third century. He was martyred on February 14th 269, thus giving us the date for this day of love. Historical tradition maintains that Saint Valentine officiated weddings for Christian soldiers who were forbidden to marry by the Roman emperor. According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine healed the daughter of his jailer who was blind. An 18th-century rendition claims he wrote the jailer's daughter a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution. It's important to understand that Valentine's Day is grounded in Christian heritage.
How to Add Value on Valentine's Day
Over the years, we've done many different things which also included our kids. On some occasions, we'd bake goodies, do loved-themed crafts, order in a heart-shaped pizza, buy them gifts, take them to the movie, or out on a Valentine's date. We wanted to model the attribute of love, not only from a husband and wife perspective, but from a family perspective. We wanted our kids to feel loved and have fun at the same time. I (Monty) took our daughter to a several father/daughter dances. It was a blast! If you are looking for a some creative ways to celebrate Valentine's Day with your kids, a simple Google search will produce tons of ideas.
We are now "empty-nesters" and our kids are all adults, for the most part. Our youngest daughter will come home during college breaks. In this stage in life, we are enjoying the Valentine's Day celebrations. Last year, we jumped on a plane to Knoxville and spent the weekend in the Smoky Mountains, and enjoyed the broadway show - Hamilton. This year, we'll stay home and enjoy a candlelight dinner being that we have the house to ourselves. As you navigate this special holiday, we encourage you to get creative and mix it up a bit.
Here are 10 Ideas to Celebrate Valentine's Day
1. Set a budget and go on a shopping challenge (then go home and celebrate)
2. Go retro and recreate your first date
3. Scrapbook together while listening to your love songs
4. Take a dance class or cooking class together
5. Light the spark and have a bonfire in the backyard
6. Host a picnic in the park or at home
7. Go to a movie and romantic dinner
8. Rent a dream car and go for a drive
9. Get creative and host a romantic game night
10. Putt Putt or Topgolf
Well there you have it! So, what are you waiting for? Start planing your Valentine's Day celebration and make it the best on yet. This is how you add value to your Valentine!
