Keeping romance alive requires consistent attention and genuine appreciation. Paul wrote this tender ballad for his wife Nancy, proving that the capacity for love doesn't diminish with age. At nearly 70 when he wrote it, Paul was still writing love songs with the same sincerity he brought to "And I Love Her" and “Here, There, and Everywhere” decades earlier.
A popular video of this song starring Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp is well worth watching. Another version, a duet with Barbra Streisand, adds another layer of warmth to the already intimate composition. Blending the voices of these two musical giants brings the weight of lived experience. Each word feels genuine rather than performed.
Real love stories don't end at the altar; they deepen through daily choices to show up for each other. Paul had experienced profound love with Linda and found it again with Nancy, demonstrating that the heart's capacity doesn't deplete. The song's gentle melody wraps around you like a warm embrace, comfortable yet never boring.
Love’s essence can remain constant even as its emotion evolves. What Paul understood at 20 about devotion expanded into something richer by 70, informed by joy and heartbreak and persistence. This song proves that romantic gestures matter at every age, that the need to tell someone "you're my valentine" never expires.
Years together teach us that love is both feeling and practice, both gift and choice. Paul's continued creativity in expressing affection shows that when we stay open, every relationship offers new discoveries. The most beautiful love songs often come from people who've loved long enough to know its true complexity.
Today, I will express appreciation to someone I love in a way that feels fresh rather than routine.
How has your understanding of love evolved over time? What would your younger self be surprised to learn about what love actually requires?
