For My Valentine

Love waits.

Which means when you receive a valentine late, you should receive it with the graciousness you would have, had it been on time. I am sure Emily Post recommends this, too.

When I mentioned that I might not get your valentine done in time for Valentine's Day, you said that you understood because you were so busy at work too; that you also might not get a valentine for me in time for Valentine's Day because well, you were just not sure how it would work out. To let you know how it would work out, I drew a figure S in the air over my head, snapped my fingers, and said no you did n't.

While I looked serious on the outside, I was chuckling on the inside because I know you know that when I say I might not finish something on time, I really mean I am going to practically kill myself trying. But you know this already and that is why I chuckled. On the inside. Ha.

So anyway, you found a bottle of champagne and chocolate truffles to illustrate your love for me on Valentine's Day and I found the matador jacket picture above to illustrate my love for you just now. In case the matador jacket picture does not speak for itself, I also wrote this:

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our love is possible not despite our differences but because of them. While I roll toward putting our household on wheels, you build built-ins. While you cultivate the garden, I cut back my cuticles. While I make sure we laugh today, you make sure we will be able to retire some day.

Although it seems like we are at odds at times, we are actually playing the game of life on the same side, it is just the littlest differences between our points of view that stand out like a sore thumbs. Remember all the times we talk heatedly about design theory and we think omg, we are so different, until we meet people who don't know/care about design at all? Then we're like, omg, we're so similar! Here is a radical idea: I think we are two sides of the same coin.

Ok, coins are a cheap analogy. Consider the matador. The matador is lean and agile and exacting while also sensational. You are in the swing of the cape, the slim shoes, the bow at the waist. Now me--I'm in the baubles on the jacket, the tight jaw, and the special stitch in the pants crack that prevents them from splitting wide-open when we bend low to tempt the bull or hustle out of it's way.

Because of you, I am able to enter the ring as the amazing matador. Because of you, there is a loving crowd that depends on us. Because of you, I can face the crowd and the bull. Because of you, I can win.

It has been a decade since our first date on Valentine's Day. I could have only dreamt then that we would be dashing around the ring together today, outfitted to the nines, with sweat on our brow and a rose in our teeth. It goes without saying but since this is a Valentine I will say it: I love you entirely. And that's no bull.