Happy (or sad) Singles Awareness Day also known as Valentine’s Day. There has been no official government committee formed to study the potential human rights violation caused by a day dedicated to those in a romantic relationship but a loosely knit group of singles have stated that Valentine’s Day is the one day they feel excluded and even persecuted because of their current status. Some singles have told me that Valentine’s Day with all the store displays, TV and online advertising and of course the questions from well-meaning friends and family about rectifying their current state of partnerlessness places considerable pressure on them.

You think you have pressure, try coming up with a gift for your significant other!

I have been married for 30 years, dated my wife for 2 years before that and I have known her since she was 13 years old. You try coming up with a new and exciting way to celebrate Valentine’s Day after all that time. Pressure, you want to talk about pressure? I’ll give you pressure. You get to come home from whatever you did that day, put your feet up, watch TV and not worry about how you are going to make someone who says you don’t need to get me a gift but means you better not come home empty handed feel special.

I have given my wife many gifts, they usually start out well but…

When we got engaged I bought my wife a promise ring so that we could save up for the ring we wanted. It took a while but finally we were able to pick up the engagement ring and matching wedding ring. Over the years I have given her many more rings. As a matter of fact I leave a ring around the bathtub quite often.

When we got married we both said the traditional vows: in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse. I have given her the sickness, the poorer and the worse, that’s half of everything. In a divorce she would get half so I think I have done pretty well.

Continuing with the traditional wedding vows: forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, for so long as you both shall live. In other words giving yourself, all of yourself to your wife and no one else. I have done better than that! I not only gave her all of me when we got married but I have given her an extra 3 lbs every year since. She has been so overwhelmed by the generosity of this gift that she has asked me not only to stop giving her the extra 3 lbs every year but she has also suggested that maybe I could get rid of 30 lbs of previous gifts I have given her.

I gave her 3 beautiful children. As a matter of fact, I was so proud of those gifts that I walked around pointing at her belly during each pregnancy exclaiming to anyone who would listen, “look what I gave my wife.” My wife may have been too exhausted in the delivery room to say it but her eyes said it all, “YOU DID THIS TO ME.” You’re welcome for the best gifts ever dear.

See the pressure I’m under on Valentine’s Day?

All these great gifts, what can I do to top them? I guess I could take her out for dinner but how can that compare to all the other things I have given her? I guess we could see a movie but once you have done life with Dave everything else, even the silver screen, doesn’t come close. I guess I could take her away for a holiday but as I said before I am giving her the poorer part of our vows so that isn’t going to happen. Now do you see the pressure that Valentine’s Day puts on couples?

The truth is, with a husband like me, every day is Singles Awareness Day because every day my wife is reminded how much better life was when she was single!

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22 (NIV)

She who finds a husband named Dave Peever ______________________

Happy Valentine’s Day Tina, I didn’t get you anything this year which, judging by this blog post, is the best gift I could give you!