The Perfect Imperfection of Love

As another Valentine’s Day approaches, let’s ignore the commercialism of the holiday and instead tell our sweetheart that we love them. In writing. There’s no better way to let them know they matter. 

Let’s face it, some days it’s more challenging to write a love letter than others. But I submit that even our grievances towards our partner are worth appreciating. I’ve long believed that our significant other’s bothersome behaviors might be what we’d miss most if they were gone. It’d be their idiosyncrasies, peccadillos, and annoying habits we’d long for, reminisce about, and deeply miss. 

So, don’t wait to appreciate your beloved’s irksome behavior, celebrate it now. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to acknowledge their ridiculousness and how empty your life would be without it.  

To help, here’s some examples you can write in your Valentine’s Day card:

Thank you for snoring and keeping me up all night even though I kicked you at 3 a.m. repeatedly because the buzz-sawing was interminable as I imagined moving to another room, house or continent for my sanity. I love you.

Thank you for dismantling every storyline of the murder mysteries we watch, wringing out all the joy of the show as you cleverly point out character deficiencies and implausible plots. I love you.

Thank you for watering our plants relentlessly and stalwartly believing you have a green thumb even though the ficus wilts at the very sight of you. I love you.

Thank you for taking outrageously long showers that make our bathroom a rainforest as you strip all natural oils from your body so your skin is dry and itchy. An extra hug for not using the bath mat so all the water puddles on the floor. I love you.

Thank you for always opening the new milk never-minding there’s a three-quarters-full carton right next to it. I love you. 

Thank you for making dinner once every six months. Watching you cook in such delightful slow motion, the speed of which would make a sloth look sprightly, brightens my world. I’m sure if I stayed up til midnight, it’d be delicious. I love you.

Thank you for getting the last-teeny-tiny morsel of peanut butter out of the jar. The way your knife clangs away incessantly, scraping the glass like fingernails on a chalkboard, no words can describe such joy. I love you.

Thank you for storing your clean laundry in the dryer. And for not replacing toilet paper rolls because they magically reappear themselves. I love you.

Thank you for thinking President Biden is texting you. Directly. I love you.

Thank you for managing to hit my bike every time you park in the garage even though I put that block of wood on the floor that tells you when to stop. I love you.

Thank you for continuing to buy clothes that will in no way fit in your closet, while you wake up every morning thinking you have nothing to wear. I love you. 

Thank you for spending the entire evening cuddling with the dog while I sit on the couch alone. I love you. 

Thank you for always hiding a box of Cap’n Crunch in the cupboard even though you never eat it, thank goodness or else you wouldn’t have the roof of your mouth. Let me know when we can throw away the three unopened cartons of eggnog in the fridge. I love you. 

Thank you for telling me how it went in the bathroom. I love you.

Thank you for never walking the dog and letting me have all the fresh air and exercise, especially on those frigid mornings when I’m wearing two coats while I pick up dog poop. I love you. 

Thank you for playing a million games on your phone while we spend quality time together. I love you.

I hope these sentiments have been helpful. I’m sure you have some of your own. A final tip? Make sure to also write about the things you truly admire and appreciate about your sweetheart. If not, I recommend you get your credit card out to pay for some flowers, candy, or maybe a legal retainer.