One of the sweetest Valentine’s Day surprises I saw was on Friday’s re-airing of Oprah (ya’ll know by now I love Oprah’s show).  The part I liked most was when Patti LaBelle surprised a fan with a duet of “If Only You Knew”.  The song is beautiful, Patti is beautiful, the fan (Win) and his wife (Vickie) are a beautiful couple, and their chosen way to express love for each other for Valentine’s Day was beautiful.

Enjoy this video:

Vickie told Win he would be singing for her on The Oprah Show in front of millions of people–that was his Valentine’s Day gift to Vickie.  What he didn’t know was since Vickie knew how much he loved Patti, she had Oprah arrange a surprise visit from Patti.  So, not only was Win singing Patti’s song to his wife on Oprah, but he got to do it with his favorite singer, Patti LaBelle, herself–that was his wife’s gift to him.   How romantic of them both.

Patti LaBelle is such a timeless, classy beauty.  She has been serenading us since the 70s and shows no signs of falling off.  After she sang on Oprah, she discussed the loss of her own Valentine.  She endearingly referred to him as “dancing in heaven” in lieu of being dead.  She was even sweet enough to invite Win and Vickie to lunch with her.  That was another great surprise for the couple.

I encourage you to surprise the one you love (spouse, significant other, child, or friend)  with a sweet surprise.  You don’t have to wait until next February 14th.  Show love and appreciation as often as you can.

I feel that everyday should be a celebration of love, not just February 14th.  Nevertheless… HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

If you are cuddling up with your honey and enjoying some quality time, you may also be interested in watching a sappy love story together.  Yes, I am a sucker for a good love story, which means I have some favorites.  These are the movies that made it to my top 5 “Greatest Love Story” list:

1.  “The Notebook” (2004):

2.  “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982):

3.  “City of Angels” (1998):

4.  “Love & Basketball” (2000):

5.  “Ghost” (1990):

So, what makes a great love story anyway?  Of course, it depends on the person, but to me:  undying devotion, passion, sacrifice, timelessness, mental connection, emotional intimacy, and physical chemistry, are components of a great love story.  A good love story also makes you appreciate the ones you love and those who love you.  I believe the list above embodies and encapsulates the spirit of romantic l-o-v-e.

Take the weekend to enjoy one or ALL of these movies.  They really are timeless and beautiful.  Be sure to keep a box of tissues nearby… don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I’m happy to participate in Music Monday today.  Al Green’s song “Let’s Stay Together” is appropriate for Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, and my blog’s theme of holding families together.

Al Green - Let’s Stay Together lyrics

I’m, I’m so in love with you
Whatever you want to do
Is alright with me
‘Cause you make me feel, so brand new
And I want to spend my life with you

Me sayin’ since, baby, since we’ve been together
Ooo, loving you forever
Is what I need
Let me, be the one you come running to
I’ll never be untrue
Ooo baby

Let’s, let’s stay together
Loving you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad

Oooo oooo ooo ooo, yeah
Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad

Why somebody, why people break up
Oh, and turn around and make up
I just can’t seeeeeeeee
You’d never do that to me
(Would you baby)
‘Cause being around you is all I see
It’s why I want us to

Let’s, let’s stay together
Loving you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad

Let’s, let’s stay together
Loving you whether, whether

Al Green, actually named, “Al Greene”, is a living music legend, who gained popularity during the 70s.   He is known for being a soulful R&B and Gospel music singer.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

When things take a downturn in a relationship, it can seem like there’s no way to get it back on track.  Relationship conflicts can affect other aspects of our lives, such as our health, career, and overall attitude.  Therefore, it’s important to seek resolution as soon as possible.

Dr. Karen Sherman , a relationships expert, wants to assure people that “conflicts are a normal part of any relationship. What’s important is how they are handled. The good news is that there are actually skills that can be learned. Couples who know these have a much better partnership.”

She offers a free tele-seminar, “The 7 Tools to Conflict Communication in Your Relationship “.   I invite you to visit her site and listen to the free tele-seminar (click on the links) if you want to revitalize your relationship.

To read my personal thoughts on conflict resolution, visit my previous post, “How Do You Resolve Marital Conflict? ” .

  My husband brought home some long-stemmed red roses this evening.  How sweet… and thoughtful… and random!  It got me to thinking about random acts of kindness and displays of love.

Most people feel altruistic around Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, etc.  Society tells us there are “special” days to do something “special” for others.  Shouldn’t everyday be a special day?  Shouldn’t we give to people and show kindness and compassion throughout the year and not just when it is a commercialized day?

So, do something special for the people you come into contact with, especially your loved ones, whenever you have an opportunity.  Give blood to the American Red Cross throughout the year.  Give toys to tots whose families are struggling in June.  Give some change to the customer in line ahead of you who’s digging in her purse or his wallet even if they don’t hold a cup out and aren’t standing on the corner ringing a bell.  And, by all means, give your spouse some flowers or that music CD he or she has wanted and hasn’t gotten around to purchasing yet.  You don’t have to wait until it’s cool or fashionable or… in season.

Giving should be a way of life.  It’s always the season to give.

  If you’re one of the two people who actually reads this blog, then you probably already spend a great deal of time online.  So, why–if you’re SINGLE– of course, are you afraid to give online dating a chance?  Oh, that’s right… because you’ve heard of all the scary things that happen online.  You’ve seen the news reports informing you of the latest online scam to rob you of your savings account…or the latest teenager accosted after a rendezvous with a pedophile he or she met online…or maybe you heard that so-and-so met somebody online and he or she didn’t quite look like his or her profile picture…and hadn’t for a loooooong time.

Well, I ask you–are these outcomes really any different from any other meeting place or dating scene?  I mean, if you’re single, you probably have already encountered some face-to-face dating mishaps that you could have done without.  Scams, thefts, robberies…these can occur face-to-face.  And, if you’re a teenager, you should be focusing on studying and graduating from school rather than dating anyway.  Assuming you’re an adult, why should meeting someone online be given stricter scrutiny?

In fact, I would argue that you have more of an opportunity to weed through the rift-raft and only meet someone who has already passed your preliminary preferences.  You don’t have to worry about being hounded in public by someone who noticed you on the street and wants your telephone number.  From the privacy of your own home (probably better than romancing from the public library computer), you can read through profiles and respond at-will.  For anyone you find interesting, you can continue to communicate online until you feel comfortable conversing over the phone.  Then, as you feel more comfortable, you can agree to meet in BROAD DAYLIGHT at a heavily PUBLIC place for coffee or tea or whatever you like.  If you’re really squeamish, you can agree to invite a friend.

I’m telling you, besides your best friend setting you up with a Prince Charming or Princess Allure, this is the best modern day dating scene ever!  Instead of thwarting the advances of someone you’re not attracted to in a bar, you can learn about someone before you ever decide to meet them.  If you learn something you don’t want to, you don’t ever have to meet them at all.  If you happen to meet them and they make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, politely decline a second date.

I was just discussing this with my home girl yesterday.  Is it still cool to call someone your home girl?  Oh, well.  I digress.  My point is that she is a very busy woman who would like to meet a nice man who likes to travel.  No problem.  I reminded her that online dating is also good for very busy people who rarely have an opportunity to go out.  If you’re not visible, Mr. or Mrs. Right won’t notice you.  If you have a wicked schedule, you can  post a profile and respond to others who write you.  Seems easy enough?  If you like to travel, you can connect with people all around the world without actually having to be there to meet them.  You can always meet up later.

Now, you’re probably wondering–what if the man or woman I’m interested in online lies to me about who they are?  Well, first that’s still no different than any other dating scene.  You probably caught the last person you dated in a lie…or you were the one lying about something.  And, secondly, if you’re a REAL person, presenting the REAL you,  there are probably other compatible people online presenting themselves for REAL.  I wouldn’t let this deter you from a possible romance.  You could spend a lifetime worrying about all the things that could go wrong.  Step out.  Take a chance.  You may be glad you did.

Do some research on which dating sites have like-minded people.  If you’re looking for love and fidelity, Blackplanet.com probably isn’t the best place to start… Eharmony.com may be more your speed.  If you’re just looking to reconnect with a long-lost sweetheart, try Facebook.com, Myspace.com, Classmates.com or Reunion.com.  If you make a chunk of change or if this is one of your must-haves when looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right–you should probably check out Millionairematch.com.  If you want to meet someone with like interests, you can try Meetup.com.  Of course, there are many sites for those who just want to hookup for the evening, but I’m sure it won’t be hard for you to find those out on your own.  Bottomline–there are just sooooo many dating and social networking sites out there!

It’s too easy to meet people these days.  There’s no need to spend your time alone if you don’t want to.  There’s no reason to be more fearful about meeting someone online than there is meeting someone face-to-face.  Just exercise the same common sense precautions and you’ll be fine.

  Friday (11-7-08), my husband and I had a dispute.  I’m a blogger, so I blogged about it…well, actually resolving marital disputes, in general.  Consequently, my panicky (yet, thoughtful) mother called to help me through our “marital problems”.  LOL!  It really wasn’t that bad, folks.  My father-in-law emailed me, in his fatherly way, some advice:  “Look in the side direction and not at each other, working for us 36 years”.  Good advice.

Now, that I’ve discovered that people do read this blog, evidenced by my 2 recent blogging awards and parental responses, I better follow-up Friday’s blog (check it out) with something sweet–PDAs…no, not the mobile phone!  “Public displays of affection” is what I’m talking about.

The featured picture was taking of us in Nov. 2006.  Doesn’t it look so sweet and darling?  Would you do this in public?  Why or why not?

I think public displays of affection (PDA) are great!  There is no shortage of incidences when we see people at odds with each other.  So, why shouldn’t we show the loving side of ourselves around others?  I’m sure some people take it too far and should get a room, but why don’t we hold hands in public more often?  What’s wrong with kissing your spouse around other people?  Since when has this been confined to the privacy of our bedrooms?  When did, “Now, you may kiss the bride”, become the only appropriate time to do this?

I’m thinking about this today because, along with talking about what dog the Obamas are going to take to the White House, people are discussing the displays of love and affection our next president bestows on his wife, Michelle.  It’s for the world to see…and it’s beautiful.

When our daughter went to sleep Friday night, my husband and I watched “Sex and the City, the Movie”.  It’s laugh-out-loud funny, the fashion’s to die for (not literally), and the plot is entertaining for both sexes.  But, that’s not what I want to focus on here.

Without spoiling the movie for you–there’s a part when a series of love poems are read via email.  Being the sucker for romance that I am, I began to think about love, romance, and poetry.

People express love in different forms.  I wonder if poetry is still one of them.  Do you write love poems for your sweetie or receive them?  I haven’t, but my husband has written several that I just love.  I won’t post them here…at least not yet.

Instead, I will post my favorite classic love poem.  I just love the first line.  It puts me in a sentimental mood and I reflect on the numerous things I love about my husband rather than the many things that annoy me.  What’s yours and why?

“Sonnet XLIII, From the Portuguese”

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day’s

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, –I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! –and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

This poem made it to page 43 of The Best Love Poems Ever:  Selections of the world’s greatest love poetry, edited by David Rohlfing.