Valentine’s Day is a special holiday for Greg and I, not because it is the holiday for lovers, but because we went to a Valentine’s dance on our first date 23 years ago. I was 16; he was 17. We don’t have any fantastic photos to show for it, but I could not pin on a boutonniere to save my life.
Who knew that we would be together today, nearly 20 years of marriage and five kids later, two of whom are now as old as we were back then or older? Life is crazy, isn’t it?
Greg is a romantic and loves to send me flowers and chocolates in February (and any other time of the year…just because). I am surely not going to complain about a bouquet of sunshine in the middle of winter or a box of chocolates…because who doesn’t like those things? But every once in a while, I like to think outside the box in the realm of Valentine’s Day gifts for him.
One of my favorite Valentines that I have ever given him only cost a few dollars and was super simple to make, which is important because I am not a crafter. I bought an inexpensive journal and filled it with memories of us – everything from inside jokes to stories of things that we did together. It looks a little beat up, but the inside is golden.
I recently pulled out that journal of memories from years ago and it was SO fun to read through it. Those early days of courtship and marriage feel like a world away from where we are now, and I had forgotten about so many of the stories and jokes that live on only because I wrote them down.
Journaling about my life will always be close to my heart, but journaling about specific memories with my husband is a wonderful way to remember the details of our life together and the reasons why I love him so much. I have almost inspired myself to buy a new journal and get started on our recent memories. 🙂
Speaking of journaling, I wrote in my journal almost every day during high school. (I know, right?!? I need to do that again!) Because of that, I have a record of my love story with Greg, starting from our first meeting and continuing through our wedding and beyond.
Several years ago, I used my old journals to create another fun Valentine’s Day gift. I went through and found every entry that mentioned Greg from the day that we met until our wedding and typed them chronologically and put them in a binder. (If I were doing it now, I would make it into a hardcover book.) Now he has a book of my thoughts and feelings about him, starting with my own 16-year-old words. That is priceless!
If you, like me, are a sucker for preserving memories and want to do something a little different for your Valentine this year, try writing a book of memories for them. I created a 13-page workbook filled with questions to get you thinking about your own memories. You can download it for free with this form:
Or, if you happen to have a journal of your own that details your love story as it happened, type it up and make it into a book. You could even add photos to make it come to life. Both would make wonderful Valentine’s Day gifts that will live on long after the holiday is over. 🙂
What unique gifts have you given to the love of your life on Valentine’s Day? Share in the comments section (but keep it clean, please).
I kept a daily journal in high school too! I need to get back in the habit. These are fun ideas!
I love reading my old journals! Now that I blog, I haven’t been journaling as much because I record so much here. But it isn’t the same. I need to get back in the daily journaling habit, too!