Happy Hallmark Holiday

One of my favorite characters on TV is Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation.  He is played by Nick Offerman.  Do a search for “Ron Swanson quotes” and I promise you will chuckle.  One of his quotes will be adapted a bit for this blog.

“Birthdays were invented by Hallmark to sell cards.”  His deadpan voice saying this cracks me up every time!

Today is Sweetest Day, and you might think it is another holiday invented by Hallmark to sell cards, it wasn’t.  But you’d be close.   According to Hallmark’s website:

“Sweetest Day is an original American holiday not based on any group’s religious tradition. It’s simply a reminder that a thoughtful word, deed or small gift enriches the life of the recipient as well as the person giving it.

Legend has it that Sweetest Day was established around 1922 by Herbert Birch Kingston, a Cleveland, Ohio candy company employee who wanted to bring happiness to the lives of those who often were forgotten. Kingston and others distributed candy and small gifts to orphans, people confined to their homes and others to show them that someone cared.

In time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer broadened to include everyone from family members to sweethearts and coworkers to acquaintances.

Observance of Sweetest Day is still most prevalent in the Great Lakes region where the holiday originated, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. But today, the once-regional celebration of Sweetest Day, has spread throughout the country.

Sweetest Day celebrations are similar to Valentine’s Day in most locations, with the most popular gifts and acknowledgements being cards, flowers, chocolates and candy.”

So, despite the backstory, in essence, the holiday was created to sell candy.

I do want to repeat something in Hallmark’s description, though:

It’s simply a reminder that a thoughtful word, deed or small gift enriches the life of the recipient as well as the person giving it.

Read that.  Re-read it!  Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all spoke in “thoughtful words” or did “thoughtful deeds” or givers of “small gifts”?

Look, my wife and I don’t need a stupid Hallmark holiday to prove that we love each other.  We do that each and every day.  We surprise each other with cards, flowers, text messages, or little things throughout our daily lives – without it being a holiday!  THAT is what makes our relationship so special.  My wife enriches my life each and every day, by just being HER.  Because of this, I fall in love with her more deeply every day.

I could easily devote an entire blog to the things I love about her.  Maybe I will do that for her birthday or our anniversary.  For now, here are just a few of the things I love about her:

• She is my biggest supporter
• Her laugh
• She will watch football with me
• She works hard
• She is patient
• She loves to cuddle
• She loves my sons
• She is not a nag
• She is good at managing money
• Her smile
• She is open to watching movies and TV shows that I like (even if she may fall asleep while watching them)
• She holds my hand while driving
• She is confident and strong
• She understands me.
• She loves me for who I am and doesn’t try to change me
• She makes fun of my “band shirts” but steals them to sleep in (also my Golden Girls shirt)
• Her face
• We could spend hours on the couch watching Live PD
• She once came to a Three Stooges Festival with me – ONCE!
• She is not crazy
• She wants me to be happy and does things to be sure that I am
• She is going to be an amazing mother to our baby girl!
• She encourages me to write
• Her boobs (That line will probably make her tell me to STOP writing!)
• I will never – ever – come close to being able to play Subway Surfer like she does!
• We don’t argue – we discuss
• She puts up with the fact that I speak in movie and TV quotes
• She gets more beautiful every day
• We never stop “dating”
• She lets my play my silly golf game on the Xbox
• She is my best friend, my lover, and my soul mate
• She calls me “babe”
• The only time I don’t miss her, is when I am with her
• She thinks I am sexy
• I never doubt her when she says “I love you”
• She makes me watch movies that make me cry (she cries too)
• She has this insane ability to always get me the perfect gifts
• She puts up with the way I don’t put Tupperware away the way she does
• She listens to my stories – probably more than once
• The way she holds me while we sleep
• EVERYTHING!

That is only a partial list!!!

Happy Hallmark Holiday to my Sweetest!  I love you, Sam.  I hope you will always remember:

“To love is nothing. To be loved is something.  But to be loved by the person you love – is everything!”

Thank you for being my everything!