"From this hour I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines, going where I list, my own master total and absolute, Listening to others, considering well what they say, Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating, Gently, but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that would hold me."
Walt Whitman (1819-92)
"When I look back now over my life and call to mind what I might have had simply for taking and did not take, my heart is like to break."
Akhenaton (d. c.1354 BC)
And now, the current weather, from some random person we pulled off the street:
Friday, November 12, 2004
How to Score Points With Your Wife 101
love Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lufu; akin to Old High German luba love, Old English lEof dear, Latin lubEre, libEre to please
1 a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests b : an assurance of love
2 : something that infuses successful marriages
Today was my wife's birthday. We won't go into which one it was.
Usually, we make a big deal out of her special day. Lots of presents, a really nice dinner, the works. Problem was, this year I am unemployed and that brings a considerably tighter wallet along with it.
So, I had to do something different. Buying nice, expensive presents was out of the question. Even the nice dinner was probably not in the works.
I decided I would make her something.
I considered lots of alternatives.
Maybe I could take a picture of me/us/her printed on our photo paper and frame it? Nah, too vain.
Or maybe I could write a mushy love poem and print and frame that? Um, perhaps, but that's been done. I might as well just buy a card.
Then it hit me....the perfect present. Guys, you want to take notes here.
I sat down at my computer, fired up Microsoft Word, and wrote 101 things that I loved about her. After she went to sleep last night I printed the list up, took a pair of scissors, and cut each individual one out.
Then, starting at the coffeemaker she goes to as soon as she wakes up, I taped a trail of the reasons. 101...100...99...98...97... Down the counter, up the side of the cabinet, across to the hall, down the walls, through the foyer at the bottom of the stairs, and ending 3..2..1.. with the last few on the door along with the "Reasons Why I Love You" sign she would see as she came downstairs in the morning. Then I went to bed.
"CLIFF!" she said, waking me up the next morning.
"What??!?" I said, bleary eyed, completely forgetting what day it was.
"Oh my God!"
Oh yeah, Earth to Cliff. "Did you see them?"
"Oh my God!"
"Happy Birthday!"
"Oh my GOD!"
And so on it went, with her unable to say anything but "Oh my GOD!" for about five minutes. Sometimes, even if I didn't say anything, she would just blurt it out every few seconds.
Yep, I shot, I scored, nothing but net. She said it was the best birthday present she ever got.
So guys, I recommend this one. Just to be helpful, I'm gonna give you the list I compiled. I based it on a list from a wife to a husband I found at this site with lots of modifications and personalizations.
Reasons Why I Love You
Your loyalty to me and everyone or everything that matters to you
Your compassion for everyone around you
Your selflessness
Your integrity
Your strength
Your devotion
How you are always 100% honest no matter what
Your kindness
The way you always try to help others
How you always stand up for what you believe in
Your generosity
Your confidence
The way that you always look for and find the positive in everything
Your optimism
Your love of the outdoors
Your courage even in the face of adversity
Your boldness
Your gentleness with me when I need it the most
How you are always understanding with me even when I don’t deserve it
How much you and I share in common together about everything
How you always can make me laugh or smile even at times when I don’t want to
Your silliness
Your love of little tiny things
How nice you look in your black jacket and bell bottoms
How you are always kind to animals
The fact that you aren’t afraid to care
How you always help me when I need or ask you to and usually even when I don’t ask
How you are always concerned about me and my well-being, and everyone else’s too
The way you hold me
The way you lighten up a room just by being in it
How much you’ve taught me about life and myself
Your intelligence
The fact that you are good at putting things in order and keeping things running smoothly
Your zest for life
Your love of discovery
Your excellent people skills
Your amazing voice
Your awesome hair
Your craziness
Your incredible beautiful eyes
Your soft warm hands
Your love of life
Your uncompromising belief in God, family, and country
The fact that you make the best mother anyone could ever ask for or hope to have
The way you walk
The way you talk
Your wackiness
The fact that there is nobody else in the world like you and nobody will ever come close
Your vast hunger for knowledge
How you are always good at everything, even when you think you aren’t
The annoying fact that you are right 90% of the time. (Ok, 95%.)
The amazing new experiences that I’ve shared for the first time with you and only you
The way you make me feel about myself
How you always tell me and show me everyday how much you love me
How you don’t mind holding my hand or showing me affection even in public
How you sometimes give up things you’ve wanted just for my benefit
The way you kiss me and touch me
The fact that you were willing to take a chance on me
The way you always encourage and believe in me
Your faithfulness
Your true sense of honor
The fact that you know how to be a real woman and a real girl at the same time
The sweet gifts you’ve given to me
The heart-touching things you’ve said to me
The way you’ve opened up your heart and life to me
The fact that I learn new amazing things about you everyday
The way you look at me that makes me melt inside
The love you’ve always shown me
The way you always say awesome things about me to other people
How much excitement you bring into my life everyday
How you always bring out the best in me
How you never take life for granted
The way you always inspire me
The fact that you can see my dreams and show me your own
The fact that you are without a doubt my true soul mate
The way that you see things that I completely miss
The way you like tradition
How forgiving you are
How you’re not afraid to be a risk-taker
Your incredible big heart
How you always know what to say and how to say it in any situation
How you always keep the house clean and my clothes perfect
How you always try to do something nice for me when I least expect it
The fact that your coworkers love you so much
The amazing way you sometimes seem to be able to read my mind
How we always still say or do the exact same thing at the same time
Your extreme patience with me even when I push it to the limit sometimes
Your charm
Your wit and wisdom
How you always comfort me or give me a shoulder to cry on when I need it
How I know you’ll always be here for me through good times and bad no matter what
The extraordinary amazing things that always happen to us that never happen to anyone else
The fact that I know you are my real true soul mate and we were destined to be together
How awesome you have been to my mom and dad and how they all love you so much too
How cute and adorable and pretty and beautiful you are
The sparkle in your eyes when you get excited about something
Your incredible dreams and visions for our future that will come true
How much you know about me now and that you’ve seen both my good sides and bad and that you still love me anyway
Cups of coffee every single morning
Every little single detail about you that makes you who you are and the fact that you are the best wife in the whole world
Bonus Reason 101. The fact that this list was so easy to write.
(Ok guys, go for it. I wanna hear those scissors and Scotch tape dispensers hummin!)
Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.
Jeanne Moreau
