Valentine's Day is About Love, The Rest of the Year is About Caring

Valentine's Day is an opportunity to express your love for your partner. When you say "I'm in love" you are describing how you feel, but not what you do with that feeling.

Giving cards, chocolates and flowers express that you feel love and that is what this day is about. However, your relationship needs more. Connection is maintained throughout the year through knowing that your partner cares.

Caring is more difficult than feeling love. We don't think of being in love as work; it's more like sliding downhill. Caring is work, much more like climbing up that proverbial hill.

Caring behaviors are often those behaviors you would not normally want to perform but do because you want to be close to your partner. When you are first falling in love, spending time together is effortless. It doesn't matter what you are doing, you just enjoy time together.

As you become a committed couple, how you spend time together and how much time you spend together becomes something that is negotiated. Activities now require more of a sacrifice and effort. This is natural. You now are being challenged to be caring...instead of falling (in love) you're climbing.

Love is feeling based, whereas caring is action based. Love is not a substitute for caring. But caring will produce love. Challenge yourself to consider how you can be a more caring partner and how you want your partner to express caring for you. Then practice this daily till next Valentine's Day. Your love will have deepened and that loving card will have more meaning!

For further inquiries:

Check out Lee Horton, Ph.D., Psychologist, at https://relationshipcrisis.com

Phone: (901) 818- 5450

Email: lhorton1@gmail.com