You Don't Bring Me Flowers
By Susie Davis of SusieDavisMinistries.com
Well, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. It's been confirmed by the hike in flower prices and the heart shaped trinkets surfacing at retailers everywhere. I must confess that Valentine's Day is one of my all time favorites. Following the splurge of buying that accompanies Christmas and the inevitable stumble accompanying many New Year's resolutions, celebrating Valentine's is like bouncing into a marshmallowy dream. There are fabulous candies and flowers. Perfume and poetry. And if you're lucky, some wining and dining. It's romantic bliss - at least from a woman's point of view. From a man's point of view - Valentine's Day is about as enjoyable as reading Victorian literature in 7th grade. It's as inspiring as pulling on ballet tights and spinning a pirouette. It's like suddenly being asked to become the most romantic human being alive in twenty four hours or less.
I have thought a lot about the Valentine hype and the immense pressure it puts on men everywhere. And I think much of it has to do with the fact that many of us have bought into what culture has defined as romantic. Much like culture has erroneously defined sexy as a Victoria Secret bra and thong set (don't get me started), culture has misidentified what real romance looks like.
I asked a couple of my friends what they thought real romance looked like and got varying replies. My favorite is a response from my friend Liz, "You know what real romance is? A man who comes home every night to his family. A man who provides to the best of his ability for his family. Romance is a man who delights in having sex with his wife of a certain age and body fat count. Real romance is through thick and thin. In sickness and in health. You can keep your smooth talkin' men who give good gifts and talk a good game. Give me a man who is steady, reliable, honest, and true. That's romance." You know, I couldn't agree more. To have a man commit 'to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part' has got to be viewed as one of the great romantic ideas of all time.
In a society that is begging us to believe that marriage is unnecessary or outdated, savor this Valentine's Day with that man you married. Give him a hug, tell him you love him - and be sure and give him a break if he forgets the flowers.
Susie Davis is an author and speaker. She is the founder and director of Susie Davis Ministries. The ministry is committed to creatively communicating biblical truth and encouraging people to love God, others and self. Her book bio includes "Loving Your Man without Losing Your Mind" and "The Time of Your Life: Finding God's Rest in Your Busy Schedule." For more information, visit www.susiedavisministries.com
