I remember the first time I heard my husband utter those three precious words,
“I love you.”
It gave me chills, warmed my heart, and possibly kept me from sleeping that night. Isn’t it an amazing thing to know you are loved? We say those words to our boyfriend or girlfriend, to our spouse, and to our children. Over time, those 3 words can become even more meaningful as we back them up with how we treat the ones we love. I’ve learned how valuable my actions are in our marriage. The best way to show my husband I love him is by how I treat him! The same is true for him. Never am I more attracted to my husband than when he does things that I know aren’t pleasant, but that he does because he loves me. Being in a relationship takes work if you want it to last. Unfortunately, the most romantic songs and sonnets mean nothing without the truest form of love to back them up-serving the one we love! Here are 5 wordless ways to say I love you!
1. Take time to listen. I know how hard it is for my husband to sit and listen to me go on and on about…everything! Yet, he is so good at doing it! He might fall asleep sometimes (who can blame him?) but he definitely gets an ‘A’for effort!
2. Do something unexpected! Everyone has things they wish their spouse would do better. Think of something you don’t usually like to do, but that you know your spouse wishes you would do. Surprise them by actually DOING it!
3. Bring home a surprise. I love it when my husband comes home with something special for me. He knows I love treats. At times in our life when money has been tight, he would surprise me sometimes by coming home with a treat. I still remember when we were newly married and I had just had a miscarriage. It was a very low point in my life. We had no money left in our bank account but my husband surprised me one night with a box of chocolates and trip to my favorite restaurant. I don’t remember how he paid for it, but it was just what I needed! When I go grocery shopping, I try to come home with something special that I know he likes. It might just be a drink, or it might be a box of snacks for him to put in his desk at work. Either way, it’s a small way of saying “I love you and was thinking of you today!”
4. Be there to lift them up! You can be their biggest cheerleader in life. Isn’t it nice when life isn’t going well to have someone there to lift you up? If your spouse is sick, it can be annoying to take on the extra work that they suddenly can’t do. On the other hand, it can be a GREAT time to let them know how much you love them! When I am sick, it touches my heart to see my husband jumping in to help and asking if he can make me dinner. Recently, one of my good friends, who lives next door, had to go to the hospital when she suddenly lost the ability to walk or get up by herself. Luckily it was a temporary thing that she is now slowly healing from. It touched my heart, though, to look out my window one morning and see her husband holding her arm and helping her go for a walk outside. These are the times when we can make or break a relationship! Here is a great clip that I think resembles true love more than anything else! It makes me cry every time I watch it.
5. Tell the world! I recently read an article by Trish here on Double the Batch called, “It’s time to end the husband bash fests!” and was humbled. I must admit I haven’t been the best at this and it’s something I hope I am getting better at over time. My husband, on several occasions, has been hurt by something I said about him to someone else. Usually it was something I thought was funny, but made someone else laugh at HIS expense. Why do we sometimes feel the need to put our spouses down when we are with our friends or in public? So, in issuing this challenge, please realize that I, myself, am issuing it to myself too! Let’s make it a habit to tell our friends (and the rest of the world) how incredible our spouses are! The golden rule applies here. If in doubt, ask yourself,
“Would I want my spouse to say these things about ME?”
In showing our love for others, the words, “I love you” become more than just words. Let’s make our actions speak even louder than words!