Are YOU a Romantic?

By: Jennifer Sneeden 05/24/2012

Let's face it, we're obsessed with the romantic lives of celebrities. Just browsing through headlines today, I found these:

"Rapper Drake Reunites with his First Girlfriend"

"A Surprise Marriage Proposal on Idol Finale"

"20 Celebrity Couples Who Have Been Married 25 Years... And Beyond"

Yes, some of this is just basic human interest in salacious gosssip. But we love to read about the love stories of others. We love to hear the happy ending. We love the sense of hope and possibility that these stories provide us.

Romance is far from dead in the hearts and minds of both men and women. We all long for that special connection with someone. The feeling that warms our heart, brightens our smiles, and sends shivers down our spines.

Unfortunately, we hear so much about the problems in relationships, that it tends to overshadow the good stuff. But believe me, the good stuff is certainly there. I hear about it every day.

I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Boca Raton, FL. I've been providing marriage and relationship counseling to couples in Boca for 8 years. And I have the privilege of hearing these stories every day.

The romance I hear about is the romance you read in celebrity headlines. It's not the romance you find in a romance novel. It's real men and women make an effort to show their partners how special they are.

Romance is the husband who's by his wife's side every week for her chemotherapy. It's the man who turns down a promotion because he can't stand to be separated from his fiancee. It's the woman who gets up with the kids each morning so her husband can have some time to himself.

These stories inspire me. They touch me on a personal and a professional level, far more than the celebrity headlines do. Because they are true romance, not something staged for reporters.

I'm on a mission to make these stories heard. To show the world that romance exists in the real world as well as in Hollywood. But I need YOUR help...

August is 'Romance Awareness Month', and in honor of this, I'm writing a series of articles about what romance means. Not the fairy-tale version that so many romantic comedies would try to sell us. Real-life, everyday romance. I know it exists; I see it every day.

Are men romantic, or is that just for women? Can romance exist in a long-term relationship?

Here's your chance to tell YOUR story. And it only takes about 3 minutes... Jump over to this quick survey to share your views of romance, and be sure to tell us your most romantic moment! It may make YOU a celebrity too!

P.S. - While you're at it, why not take a moment to 'Like' my Facebook page. You'll be able to read all the highlights from the stories I'm creating. They're really so beautiful you won't want to miss them.