It’s that time of year again, when everything is hearts and roses and the radio offers a never-ending parade of sappy love songs with titles like You Are Perfect and Stay With Me Always.

Oh, please.

Let’s face it: life is not a romantic ballad. It’s much more like a bad country song. Titles like You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly or If I Had Shot You When I Wanted to, I’d Be Out By Now may not be uplifting and inspirational, but they’re much more reflective of real life. (Or my personal favorite: If I Can’t Be Number One in Your Life, Then Number Two On You).

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been happily married for over 10 years. It’s just that being in love is so much different than falling in love. I remember the exciting rush of a new relationship, when everything is sweetness and light, and the guy is still afraid to fart in front of you. Those days are long gone.

Hey, we’re human. We yell. We cry. We say hurtful things.

But he still makes me laugh. He sometimes lets me hold the TV remote. And we both know we’d be lost without each other.

Think about it: your spouse is the only person in the world who knows everything about you and chooses to live with you anyway. Even your mother, who has known you since birth and loves you beyond measure, does not actually want you in her house. For someone to see the whole you, warts and all, and still say “I choose you”, is pretty astounding.

So this Valentine’s Day, hug that special non-perfect person in your life and show them how they make your heart sing.

Let’s just hope it’s not a country song.