I love you today because...

My husband's love language is, without a doubt, acts of service. He is an incredibly kind and giving man who shows his love by serving others (especially me). As wonderfully kind as he is, however, he hasn't always had the easiest time identifying and expressing his feelings. This can sometimes pose a problem for a words-of-affirmation-love-languager like me. I know my husband loves me but it's still nice to hear it out loud sometimes, ya know?  To help remedy this we decided to start a little tradition we call "I love you today because..." shortly after we got married. It's a quick, simple nightly tradition that makes it easier (for both of us) to express our love and appreciation for each other every day.

So what do we do?  Well, it's pretty straightforward. Before we go to bed each night we each tell each other at least one reason (often we give a whole list!) why we love each other that day, always starting with "I love you today because...." For example, an average nightly conversation might go like this:

Hubby: I love you today because you sent me pictures of the baby at work

Me: I love you today because you were patient with me when I was being grumpy

Or

Me: I love you today because you made dinner and let me rest.... and because you're incredibly sexy

Hubby: I love you today because you're such a good mommy and you love your family and because you're so nice to snuggle with

(told ya we end up with a whole list some nights!)

You can say whatever comes to mind. It can be sweet, funny or even a bit silly, just take the time to let the other person know how much you love and appreciate them and why.  I personally love this little tradition because not only do I get a nice warm, fuzzy affirmation of love (with a reason why!) before falling asleep each night (who doesn't like that?) but it also gives me a reason to look for wonderful things I appreciate about my husband and reflect on all the wonderful things he's done that day. It's also helped both of us to be more open and honest about our feelings, giving us a daily opportunity to express love in an easy, semi-structured setting. I think it's something we might share with out kids as they get older, too! I don't want them to have any qualms about expressing their love for others.  It could also work with siblings, friends, roommates, etc -- basically anyone you want to regularly make feel loved.

So readers, what's one reason you love that special someone?  Share in a comment below and don't forget to share it with the one you love, too.