The sentiment on the anniversary card caught and held my attention.

After reading it several times, I bought four of those cards.

The message said so much, in so few words, and I wanted special friends and family members who would be celebrating an anniversary to ponder the words on the card, as I had done when I discovered it on the store rack.

The thought-provoking card says simply, “We fall in love by chance. We stay in love by choice.” Amen to that!

I recalled those words last week when a friend in New Jersey told me her young grandson was getting divorced for the second time.

His first marriage lasted eight months.

The second endured not quite three years. What happened?

According to my friend, her grandson “becomes obsessed with his interests and activities and does what he wants to do instead of what he should be doing.”

Sounds like his marriages quickly fell into a rut.

Initially he seemed to be attentive and in love, but after a short while the magic ended.

Apparently he chose not to nourish that love and sustain it.

That situation makes me wonder about all the romantics who profess their undying love on Valentine’s Day. Will that love last?

It can, I think, if the partners choose to make it last.

Even on occasions when we might not feel especially loving, we are not helpless victims of our feelings.

Feelings come and go. We are capable of mastering our feelings and our behavior toward our partner.

To nurture a loving relationship, we need to learn how to compromise.

A good partnership consists of give and take, being willing to bend a little, rather than break.

As a favorite song of mine suggests, people in love accept their partners’ flaws and imperfections.

We cannot and should not expect to find perfection, and neither can our partner.

Respecting one another is necessary in a loving relationship.

Partners who respect each other are careful not to hurt each other with insults and put-downs.

It is possible to disagree and still be gentle with each other.

The person we choose to love certainly deserves the kindness and courtesy we show to our friends and co-workers and even to strangers.

Communication is the key to success in any relationship, be it professional or personal.

If something is not working, express it and together work on a solution. Don’t be afraid to ask your partner where you could use some improvement.

This is not the time for defensiveness.

I believe we make the choice to be part of a loving couple every day.

Our relationships, intense at first, become more comfortable as time passes. And that is a good thing.

But comfort does not mean neglect or taking each other for granted.

Love should not be reduced to one romantic day each February.

Romance should not become a sense of duty to be fulfilled with flowers and chocolates and a sweet card on Valentine’s Day.

Those of us who have a special someone cannot let our relationships become dull.

We need to commit to paying attention to and focusing on our loved one and his or her needs.

Relationships take nurturing and work to remain strong.

Look for creative ways to express your love often.

In other words, celebrate Valentine’s Day every day of the year.