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Main Idea: The author expresses her love for her spouse while also critiquing the societal pressure to celebrate Valentine’s Day with traditional gifts.

Notes:

• In the first paragraph, the author acknowledges her love for her spouse but says that “he knows he’s loved every day” and suggests they “skip the roses” this year.
• The author then reflects on the “cultural demands” of Valentine’s Day and how they can create anxiety and disappointment for people in relationships.
• She critiques the “standard script” of Valentine’s Day, which suggests that “romance is the only language of love” and that love should be expressed through material gifts.
• Instead, the author suggests that love is expressed through small, everyday acts of kindness and care.
• She gives examples of these acts, such as “hugging in the kitchen” or “sitting quietly together,” and suggests that they are more meaningful than “flowers that will be dead in a week.”
• The author ends by saying that she and her spouse will “spend Valentine’s Day like most other days,” but that this doesn’t mean they don’t love each other deeply.

Summary: The author challenges the traditional expectations of Valentine’s Day and argues that love is better expressed through everyday acts of kindness and care rather than material gifts. She and her spouse will skip the traditional celebration of Valentine’s Day, but this doesn’t mean they don’t love each other deeply.