Ah, Valentine’s Day! The day when love, sweet love is in the air.

This year I found the perfect card with the perfect message for my bride. And here it is:

The message inside reads as follows:

My wife was thrilled with this card. It speaks to our current situation on so many levels.

What first attracted me to the card was the picture of the dogs. This week dogs have been on my mind. Karen spent a good deal of time watching the 2020 Westminster Dog Show. She usually watches very little television. She’s more of a book reader—a voracious book reader. But the dog show had her glued to the tube. All those purebred pooches strutting their stuff had her mesmerized.

Occasionally, I would drop in on her viewing and add a casual comment. I was somewhat surprised by her unabashed expressions of affection for the dogs. So, when I saw the dog card on the rack among all those other heart festooned creations, I was instantly attracted.

Young pups no longer

The young pups pictured on the card along with the accompanying message speak to our present reality as a couple. The wrinkled pups with their sagging jowls are a reflection of our soon-coming reality. The jowls and wrinkles are a current work in progress. After 42 years of marriage we’re not young pups anymore.

As for the message on the inside of the card, there’s plenty of truth there too. I am the lucky one. I’m lucky because I married a woman who knows how to love. By that I mean she knows how to put others first.

I admit I struggle with putting others first. Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” It’s in the “above yourselves” portion of that passage where I run into trouble. I confess I have a streak of selfishness in me that runs deep.

I am lucky to have a wife who over and over again has sacrificed to put me and our family above her personal wants and desires. Will I do the same? Sometimes.

Lord, please help me be an “always” kind of guy, who honors his wife and those around him, not just on Valentine’s Day, but throughout the year. Amen.

P. S.
Now here’s a little advice from this old dog for other men, both young and old  who may be reading this post. Over the years I have found that showing honor and putting my wife first has its rewards. It keeps me out of the doghouse.

 
David Kitz is the award-winning author of “The Soldier Who Killed the King,” and the chair of The Word Guild.