Valentine's Day Rosebush Style

     This morning I woke Emma up for school and reminded her that it was Valentine's Day. She was so excited because that means a party at school.  She worked very hard carefully signing her name to all her little cards for her friends and we bought little candy treats for her class.  While she was getting ready for school she asked "What is Valentine's Day anyway?"  I responded with "It's a day where we show all the people we love how much we love them?"   Her sweet little face looked up at me and said "But Mommy,  I show you that I love you everyday and you tell me everyday that you love me.  Why is today special?"   Why is my child like a wise old woman?
     Our last name is Rosebush so you'd think Valentine's Day would be our thing, but you'd be wrong.    Fred and I just don't make a big deal of Valentine's Day.  Why, you ask?  Let me tell you.  Love for us isn't flowers, candy, jewelry, or a fancy dinner. Love is spending years working opposite schedules and rarely seeing each other in order to avoid putting the kids in daycare. Love is wakng up every morning driving and hour and a half to a job that is less than satisfing, working 10-12 hours, and driving an hour and a half home so that your wife can stay home everyday and raise your kids.  Love is blonde haired, blue eyed, five years old, and full of attitude.  Love is using you're day off to take your wife's car to get an oil change so she doesn't have to bless the dealership with the presence of your children.  Love is spending your Saturday mornings sitting on rock hard bleachers watching your daughter cheer her heart out. Love is curly headed, green eyed,  still lacking all his teeth, and almost two years old.  Love is seeing your children's face light up when you walk in the door.  Love is hearing a little voice call you  mommy or daddy.  Love is not smothering your snoring husband when his snoring keeps you up at night.  Love is sharing a morning kiss despite heinous morning breath.  Love is losing a child and knowing that you can depend on your spouse for every ounce of strength you have.  Love is knowing that no matter what life throws at you that you can tackle it together.  Love is being able to  make fun of each other.  Love is laughing at each other A LOT.   Love is everyday.  Love is sharing every part of your life with someone.  Love is dedicating our lives to raising two beautiful Rosebushes and making sure that they feel loved, wanted, needed, and special everyday.  So today you won't see Fred and I exchanging crazy gifts because we exchange something much more important every day, we exchange our love.  
     My wise little Rosebush was right; today isn't really that special.  My heart is full of love today because I know, that my kids know, that they are loved and they live in a home filled with love everyday of the year.

Happy Valentine's Day to all. May all of your days be so filled with love that February 14th is just another calendar day.