As I reflect on the most romantic moments in my short 20 years of life, the staples of modern love gestures aren”t present. There are no flowers, chocolates or jewelry. While I may have enjoyed those cliche (though admittedly enjoyable) gifts a time or two, they aren”t what come to mind when I think about romance.
More often than not, the most romantic moments in my life involved only a radio, a loved one and a moment marked with significance by the right song at the right time. No money spent, no elaborate gestures – only good music and great company. To this day nothing compares, and there are several reasons why.
Lyndsie Kiebert
Rawr
For starters, a song is timeless. Flowers die, chocolates disappear faster than I”d like to admit and jewelry can easily be lost or tarnished. A song is always accessible and will always evoke the same feeling it did the first time it meant something between people.
Like scent, music can evoke emotion without the listener”s conscious effort. I can be driving on a winter day, hear a Florida Georgia Line song on the radio and in my mind I”m suddenly on the beach that night in summer of 2014. There is probably a psychological explanation, but all I know is that the effect defines romance for me.
Also, there are no limits. Love tunes aren”t all that can apply as songs between couples. It”s the feeling the song evokes that matters, or the memory associated. Maybe you fell in love at a Slipknot concert, or Kanye was on the radio at the time of a defining relationship moment. The song itself is not what matters – it”s the purpose it serves.
Perhaps the best thing about having a song with a significant other is that the longer a couple is together, the larger the playlist grows. And this playlist doesn”t have to be literal, but it can be. A mix CD or Spotify playlist made and gifted with a lover in mind is the ultimate gesture of affection – but that might just be me.
In the year and nine months since I”ve been with my current boyfriend, we”ve accumulated a playlist of haphazard and unique proportions. What began as a simple spring afternoon spent listening to “Luckiest Man” by The Wood Brothers has become a an all-encompassing collection of songs from country to folk to rock music, all with distinct memories attached. When I consider the sweetest moments between us, the songs that played a part in those moments mean more than any material item we could ever give one another. The power of music lies in its timelessness. Nothing illustrates that better than when a song plays and boyfriend says, “Oh man, remember that time we were listening to this song and “¦”
No couple”s playlist is the same, and that”s the beauty of it. This Valentine”s Day, instead of going with the same hum-drum dozen roses or overdone box of truffles, do the most romantic thing I”ve come to know – take a song and give it to your special someone. Make it a timeless representation of the time you spend together.
It”s the only way I know to make a moment with that person infinite.
Lyndsie Kiebert can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lyndsie_kiebert