This is real romance (to me). 

J and I have never been super “romantic,” at least not in the way the movies would have you believe. 

Our idea of a date night is eating out at a non-fast food place (like Golden Corral, ha) and watching Netflix the rest of the night. Or going to watch UFC fights, or taking Spencer to the zoo, or going to the mall to people watch and window shop. 

Our Valentine’s Day… our 7th one as a couple… was no different. There were no roses, no jewelry, no giant stuffed bears. No fancy candlelit dinner. (Though I did get a pretty awesome poem from my sweetheart 😜). 

To me, this is real romance though. I don’t need gifts or flowers or expensive dates. I have a man who has chosen to love me and only me for the rest of his life. For better or worse, in sickness and in health, rich or poor, until death do us part. We made those vows and we meant them. We live them each and every day. 

There’s nothing at all wrong with gifts or flowers or fancy dates. But given the option, I’d rather just have a husband who chooses to work hard to provide for his family and who chooses to love me even on the days when it’s a little more challenging. I’m thankful for a man who chooses to be a great, loving father to his child every day. Having a family of my own with the love of my life is gift enough. 

So romance doesn’t have to come with gift wrap or grand gestures. To me, real romance is all about the little things. Like how he always texts me when he gets to work, on his break, and when he’s leaving. Or how he works hard to balance our budget every day so we can pay our bills and get groceries and diapers. Romance, to me, is shown in the way that he makes me feel secure and safe, and that I’ve never once had to worry that he’s hiding something from me. To me, it’s watching him study his Bible every night because he wants to be a good husband and father through God’s eyes. Romance is him not complaining when I deliberately eat around the green part of the rainbow sherbet. 

Romance can’t be bought and can’t be delivered only one day a year… it’s in the little things, the hard things, and the boring, everyday things. 

What does real romance mean to you?