My Funny Valentine
Maybe Old Blue Eyes said it best in his song My Funny Valentine; "but don't you change one hair for me, not if you care for me, stay little valentine, stay." With Valentine's day just a few days away, I got to thinking of what that holiday means to me.
It's interesting that Valentine's day is linked with new love so much these days and that's OK I guess. To me though, the true meaning of the holiday lies not in new love, but the kind that endures; the kind that lasts past all the faking we all do to attract each other and keep each others' attention during an early romance.
I'm gonna be honest, I'm a mess. I've made more mistakes than most over the years, some real whoppers. I started out pretty good looking if I do say so myself (I kid), but the years are wearing on me. I am far from the perfect male model and nobody has ever confused me for Enrique Iglesias. I can be moody and stubborn, like to be pretend I'm right more than I actually am, and sometimes I proudly let a "silent but deadly" one slip out while sitting on the couch; yet my Valentine still stands by my side.
There's a motivational speaker named Mark Gungor who speaks about marriages and relationships. He talks a lot about communication and how men and women have different ideas and expectations which can lead to friction. He also mentions the idea of the "over-romanticization" of relationships. He argues women have this romance-novel idea of the perfect husband/boyfriend. I say, so what. I like the idea my Valentine once thought of me as a Fabio-ish man. I worked really hard on my sexy foreign accent back then to impress her.
What I love most of all though is once the fake accent wore off and the abs went the way of the ab-roller and sweatin' to the oldies VHS tape, she still liked me for me; for the flawed, average guy I am.
So here's a toast to all you "lifers" out there. May you celebrate your Valentine this year with a huge thank-you for loving you "Just The Way You Are". On that note, I'm off to listen to Billy Joel.
It's interesting that Valentine's day is linked with new love so much these days and that's OK I guess. To me though, the true meaning of the holiday lies not in new love, but the kind that endures; the kind that lasts past all the faking we all do to attract each other and keep each others' attention during an early romance.
I'm gonna be honest, I'm a mess. I've made more mistakes than most over the years, some real whoppers. I started out pretty good looking if I do say so myself (I kid), but the years are wearing on me. I am far from the perfect male model and nobody has ever confused me for Enrique Iglesias. I can be moody and stubborn, like to be pretend I'm right more than I actually am, and sometimes I proudly let a "silent but deadly" one slip out while sitting on the couch; yet my Valentine still stands by my side.
There's a motivational speaker named Mark Gungor who speaks about marriages and relationships. He talks a lot about communication and how men and women have different ideas and expectations which can lead to friction. He also mentions the idea of the "over-romanticization" of relationships. He argues women have this romance-novel idea of the perfect husband/boyfriend. I say, so what. I like the idea my Valentine once thought of me as a Fabio-ish man. I worked really hard on my sexy foreign accent back then to impress her.
What I love most of all though is once the fake accent wore off and the abs went the way of the ab-roller and sweatin' to the oldies VHS tape, she still liked me for me; for the flawed, average guy I am.
So here's a toast to all you "lifers" out there. May you celebrate your Valentine this year with a huge thank-you for loving you "Just The Way You Are". On that note, I'm off to listen to Billy Joel.
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