I have said before that Valentine’s Day is not my favorite holiday. However, I have also boldly denounced the people who viciously attack it. It might not come as a surprise, but February 14 has become a little sweeter to me over the past few years. When you get to spend a love-obsessed designated holiday with your life partner, no matter how commercialized that holiday might be, it does take a bit of your cynicism away (I still don’t love Valentine’s Day though!).

On the first Valentine’s Day I spent with Sidney, I pulled out all the stops. The two of us dressed up and hit arguably the most well-known fine dining franchise in the country. We enjoyed an extravagant meal at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, an experience that I still fondly remember.

Sidney and I at Ruth’s Chris on Valentine’s Day 2015.

Last year, we scaled back a bit. Fresh off purchasing our honeymoon and with a wedding months away, we celebrated at home. I brought breakfast and flowers to Sidney’s house and we simply enjoyed the day together.

I gave Sidney a very simple Valentine’s Day gift in 2016.

This year, we are celebrating by merging together components from the past two Valentine’s Days…kind of. To pay homage to our first V-Day, we will be eating steak once again; it just won’t be $100 steak. We are ordering takeout from Outback! I am just about to go pick up the food to bring back to the house. We will then slip in a Redbox that Sidney picked out earlier this evening and enjoy the same “meal and movie at home” concept we did last year.

But this year isn’t a complete mashup of the past two years. Believe it or not, we started a brand new tradition this morning. At 5:15 a.m., we traded Valentine’s cards. During a period where I am usually hustling to get out the door to hit the gym and Sidney is getting ready to go teach school, we spent a few peaceful moments together. We opened the cards we each got for one another and admired the thought that each person put in, even it was a small gesture. It was an amazing way to start the Tuesday.

The Valentine’s Day cards we exchanged this morning.

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone. No matter if you have a sweetheart or not, remember that the sun will come up tomorrow. Don’t Blink.