Twue Wuv...

True love (known to Princess Bride fans as "twue wuv," in case this post's title confused you) is not what most people think. If we listened to the jewelry ads on television, we would think true love requires expensive rings, necklaces, pendants, or earrings. If we listened to the florists, true love would require huge bouquets for every major holiday, anniversary, celebration, and random surprises. Heck, true love should consist of oodles of gifts of just about every type of object known to humankind, no?

Get real, folks. Love has nothing to do with presents. Sure, when we love someone, we often feel the urge to give them something special. And while I doubt I would ever say no to chocolate or flowers, that's not what lets me know my husband loves me.

True love is plunging the toilet so your loved one does not have to deal with it themselves. It is cleaning up the kitchen and taking care of the usual nightly chores so your spouse can get to bed early when you see they are tired. It is not complaining when your honey spends a little too much money on something for themselves, especially when they've just splurged and bought the good gloves to use when washing the dishes. True love involves taking the kidlets out to the mall two weeks before Christmas so your dear heart can have some time to themselves at home. It is making mashed potatoes for dinner even though peeling potatoes makes you sneeze, just because your sweetheart is getting sick of the pasta the kids want all the time. It's when you handle the ironing for the week so your partner can bake Christmas cookies without worrying about the mundane tasks that need to be done.

True love is the day-to-day realization that you cannot fathom life without your partner even if they make you want to scream sometimes. It is sharing silly esoteric banter that makes the kids stare at you blankly. It involves going to the doctor's office for routine physicals and getting anything suspicious checked out so you can enjoy as much time as possible in this life with the one you love. It might involve stopping what you are doing to play a game with your schmoopsy-poo when he asks you, even without him resorting to making puppy-dog eyes in your direction.

True love is telling your spouse the expensive appliance you just had to replace can count as your birthday gift. It also means ignoring your spouse when she says that and getting her something else, too.

Most of all though, true love means being able to say "thank you" for all your honey has done, and apologizing when you have said or done something less than admirable. True love is also not abusive, even if an apology was forthcoming following the abuse. Just because Buttercup pushed Westley down a hill before she realized he was her twue wuv does not make it acceptable in real life. (Yep, another Princess Bride reference.)

May you all find twue wuv, or hold on to the wuv you already have. May that also not require the Cliffs of Insanity. (Final Princess Bride reference. I promise.)