"The most romantic thing I could think of is...

...to hold your hand as we get old together (持子之手 与子协老) . "

This is from a love poem in the Book of Songs (Shi Jing, in Chinese), which was a collection of Ancient Chinese poems and folk songs, from as early as 1,000 BC.

I don't know about other Chinese, but this sentence pretty much summarized my idea of romance. Yes, love is about getting dizzy and thrilled, but perhaps more importantly (and definitely more sustainably), is about sharing day-to-day life together and enjoying each other's accompany.

Not sure how other people value this type of romance. One difference I noticed between Chinese and Western dating culture is when one party gets sick. In China one is supposed to stick around and take care of your sick partner, and the logic is that he/she is fragile and may need help. This good will though, will sometimes annoy a sick Westerner, who prefers to be left alone at such times.

Yes, to love = to give freedom as I learned in a harsh way. But at least I learned and learning is a default part of the getting-old-business.

Happy Valentine's Day!