I Love You

We wanted to write this one for you for Valentine's Day, but this is one of those marriage subjects that is good any day. Those three key words that we hope you will say often to one another ... "I love you." You may have heard before that our American English only has one word for love. We love chocolate, warm weather, a back rub ... and our beloved. But surely the way you love those first three is nothing like the love you have for your betrothed. Yet the word is the same. Greeks have a few different words for love: agape (unconditional), phileo (brotherly) and eros (erotic) among others. I read somewhere that ancient Sanskrit and Persian had 96 and 80 words each for love. That's a lot of distinction. And with 6,500+ languages in the world, there are at least that many ways to say, "I love you." While saying it in English is enough, it would sure be sweet to stretch your mind a little bit and learn how to say it every way possible to your beloved. So we thought we'd help you out a bit a give a few ways ... including some creative ways.

For example in Ubbi Dubbi, the language game I learned from the PBS show Zoom in the 70s where you add "ub" before vowels," I love you" becomes, "Ub-eye lubove yuboo." In Pig Latin - another language game - it becomes "I-ay ove-lay oo-yay." In Elvish from Lord of the Rings, it's "Melin le." In Shyriiwook, the language of Wookies in Star Wars, it's "ah anoohowo rooohu." Numerically, "143". In sign language, the signed letters I, L and Y together.

Other languages are below. So learn a few, maybe pick a secret one for just between the two of you, and whisper those three sweet words over and over to each other.

French - Je t'aime
Polish - Kocham Cie
Danish - Jeg elsker dig
Romanian - Te iubesc
Irish - Taim i' ngra leat
Filipino - Mahal kita
Welsh - 'Rwy'n dy garu
Japanese - Aishiteru
German - Ich liebe dich
Chinese - Wo ai ni
Hawaiian - Aloha au ia 'oe
Russian - Ya tebya liubliu
Finnish - Mina rakastan sinua
Aramaic - Rikhmith-eykh (to female); Rikhmith-akh (to male)
Spanish - Te amo
Dutch - Ik hou van jou
Saxon - Ik hou van di
Turkish - Seni Seviyorum
Greek - S'agapo
Swahili - Ninapenda wewe
Czech - Miluji te
Ukrainian - Ya tebe kahayu

Discussion: Do you have a special way of saying "I love you" to one another? Which of the above do you like?

Prayer: Father, we know You love us, for you showed us in the most amazing way ... by dying for us. Thank You, for Your beautiful Son, Jesus. May we repeat how much we love each other as often as possible. In Jesus we pray, Amen.

11:11 on 11/11

1111 is one of those numbers Zimaneks and Lauritzens seem to see all the time. On the alarm clock next to the bed, addresses, grocery store receipts. It just seems to pop up a lot. My Dad was the first to draw my attention to it. It was his address when he was a little boy. I remember countless times when he would point to whatever featured the number and say, "Eleven eleven." So, of course, when I met your Daddy, I would point it out to him as well.

Then we started this tradition: every year on Veterans Day, we would make sure we would kiss at 11:11.11 (in 2011, this was especially cool). Now it may seem silly, but it was just a little thing we did every year. And that can be complicated if either of us were working. We would call each other and blow kisses over the phone if we had to. Or make sure to get a kiss in the p.m. eleven o'clock hour (although to a veteran, they'd say that doesn't count since it's 23:00. :) Just a silly thing, but we've done it since we first met. It's become as much of a tradition for us as kissing at midnight on New Year's Day. It's just what we do. But it's special to us.

But it's not the only goofy little thing we do. Daddy loves Twinkies, and for some reason really liked Twinkie the Kid - which we lovingly refer to as the Twinkie Man. Daddy has been drawing the Twinkie Man for me since we first met. On little notes, letters, dry erase boards, even my hand. And he always has Twinkie Man signing "I love you." That is another sweet thing we do. Again, started by my father, we have been using the sign language symbol for "I love you" for a lifetime. I sign it to Daddy every single day as he leaves for work. And then, of course, he asks me to marry him several times each day.

Little things like this between the two of you are sweet ways to show how much you love each other. They are yours, personal, sweet and special. You may already have these sweet moments and traditions already. And some may come as the years go on. Are they proven ways to strengthen a marriage or make it last longer. Um, no.

But they sure are fun.

Discussion: What are some quirky things that are just yours together as a couple? Is there a tradition you've seen done by other couples you'd like to incorporate or tweak for yourselves?

Prayer: Lord, we know how important tradition is for you. And we thank you for sweet moments we can recreate and delight in daily and yearly. We love you, Father. And we thank you for our Veterans this day. In Jesus name, Amen.