Downtown Dad and I have been married now for what can be termed a long damn time – this year our marriage enters it’s second quarter century.  Here we are this past week, in front of the condo in Houston where we were married in the living room, in the middle of July, in the middle of a heat wave, with a broken air conditioner… look, we’re still laughing!

We were not newbie kids when we got married, no – far from it.  We’d both been down the matrimony road a time or two before we found each other, but this time we both knew it would be different.  Whether its our chemistry together, or just that we both had some stellar examples of  how NOT to do it, we have always made it a point to above all else, keep the romance in the forefront!  No matter what happens, we are the shelter for each other at the end of the day.  We give each other hope. And we always, always laugh.

We must be doing it right, because even after twenty five years, people will look at us walking along holding hands, giggling, and go “Awwww.” And most of the time, when we look at each other, we still have those little hearts streaming out of our eyeballs.

Today is Valentine’s Day, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably taken advantage of one or more of the “traditional” methods to make your honey feel special.  And while those are all well and good, sometimes traditional is just about all you have the energy to do.  Here’s an idea, rather than putting all the pressure on one day in which to prove your devotion, why not pick a day out of the blue and do something spontaneous?  Here are five suggestions for bringing a little Valentine sweetness into everyday romance.

1. Learn something new. As with anything, when you quit learning new things, your romance can start to die.  The thing that made falling in love so much fun in the first place was learning all those new things about him/her! Ask questions, be sneaky, find a new favorite food, or go to a movie you wouldn’t normally choose – you may be surprised at the conversations – or other things – that will spark!

2. Connect with your senses. Quick, what are his/her favorite sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches? Pleasing sensations can be an excellent inspiration for turning up the romance.

3. Write a love letter. Blog it, write a Facebook post, put it in a blank card. Whatever your medium, sit down and write out what really turns your heartbeat to a staccato beat. Come up with at least three or four things that you really adore, be honest, what really makes you tingle? Write it down!

4. Use your superpowers. While the love letter mentioned above is a good start, there’s only so much pleasure you can get from a card or candy and flowers. You already know those things will likely get a quick response, but are also quickly forgotten. Dig into your memory banks, what do you have that the others don’t? What attracted you to each other in the first place? Put your red cape back on once in a while and maybe it will take the both of you up up and away!

5. Remember.  If all else fails – candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker!

If you want a little more inspiration for putting a little romance in every day – watch this http://storycorps.org/animation/danny-and-annie/  DISCLAIMER:   Do NOT watch this at work unless you enjoy bawling alone at your desk.