It's so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day and forget to look for romance in our lives. Sadly, that's a habit that relates to more than romance.

I've noticed though that setting a goal to identify "romance" has kept me a little more focused on it. And I find it in un-traditional places.

Just this last weekend, we got together with a bunch of friends for July 4th. One friend is going through a rough patch, but watching him reminded me of so many of the heroes we read about in romance novels. He's solid and dedicated to his family. I watched him in the pool with his daughter and while most of the other adults were talking to each other, he was talking to and playing with his kiddo. She was the focus of his world and he didn't seem to miss the conversations around him. It's said that we as women often look for our fathers in our spouses. In this little girl's case, she couldn't pick a better man if she finds a man like her dad.

Seeing them together inspired me to come home and dive into a round of revisions. A lot of my current hero mirrors this friend of ours.

Keep looking for the romance!