Happy Valentine’s Day! Though I love chocolate and roses as much as the next woman, I fully realize relationships and romance are about more than just one day. It may seem an unlikely source, but I’ve learned a lot about love from our dog:

No one is perfect

If you’ve been in a relationship for more than three minutes, you already know this. People say dumb things, do dumb things and sometimes make us completely crazy. But have you noticed that your dog (or cat) also does dumb, annoying things? So why do we cut our pets a lot more slack when they mess up than we do the people in our lives?

We are not guaranteed tomorrow

We’ve had our dog for 15 years and she is slowing down, much as we hate to see it. But she’s not the only one. So are many of the people we love. Life does not come with a guarantee. Make sure all your accounts are settled with those you love. Tell them you love them. Regret for things not said or done is a bitter pill you don’t want to have to swallow.

Perspective matters

My friend Tammy and I were talking about relationships one day. She said, “If you have a spotted dog, and all you look at are the spots, pretty soon, that’s all you see.” Hmmm. So if you have a husband/wife/child/parent/friend/pet that has faults (surprise!) and you focus only on those “problems,” before you know it, you won’t see anything but the things that make you nuts. The cure is to consciously, deliberately look for the good, the positive, the things that make you laugh. Those spots will gradually disappear. Love is about intentional blindness.

Be Affectionate

Have you noticed how Fido wags and wiggles and runs over to greet you when you come in the door? Why not do the same for your loved ones? (Well, maybe skip the tail wagging.) Throw off the restraint and welcome those you love with open arms and an open heart. Let them know how very glad you are to have them in your life.

That said, I’m off to make some phone calls and hand out some bear hugs.