More Than Words

Writer's getaway

When I became a writer, my wife, Jane, showed her deep love for me by renovating our children's unused playhouse, a small cabin at the edge of the woods, into a cozy writing space. She invested in a beautiful writing desk, matching bookshelf, and a computer system. Jane encouraged me in my work by creating a perfect writer's getaway. Her actions rang out, "I love you!"
—Clifford Denay Jr., Michigan

Smoothing the wrinkles

Ever since we got married, my husband, Glanville, has been ironing my clothes for work. He tells me, "I know you can do it yourself, but I just want to show you I love you."
—Coral Johnson, Bahamas

Hold the raisins!

Recently I arrived at a conference and began to unpack my suitcase. When I took out my pajamas, I saw my husband, John, had packed two plastic bags of trail mix. One had my name on it, and the other had my roommate's name.

I wonder why he put our names on them, I thought. I gave Candy, my roommate, her bag and put mine on the bedside table.

That night, after several long meetings, we sat on our beds and had a trail mix snack.

"I really like these raisins," Candy said.

Raisins! My wondering was over. I looked at my bag and, sure enough, there were no raisins in it. I don't like raisins. John put our names on the bags because he'd sorted through mine and removed all the raisins.
—Linda Gilden, South Carolina

The grass is greener

One week I was extremely busy at work. Usually home for supper, I was lucky to walk in the door by bedtime. The state of our yard, especially the height of the grass, was a nagging concern for me. Since my wife, Linda, doesn't do much yard work, I was amazed when I came home one evening to find a freshly mowed lawn. Linda had hired the teenager across the street to come over and cut the grass. Her thoughtful gesture took one big thing off my mind during a hectic week.
—John Gilden, South Carolina

10,000 days

One morning last November, I walked out to my car to find a poster that read, "Happy 10,000, Kathy." 10,000 what? I wondered as I pulled off the poster and went to work.

When I got home that evening, the mystery was solved. With our four children and daughter-in-law, my husband, Jim, and I celebrated 10,000 days of marriage. On the table was a vase filled with 10,000 beads, surrounded by presents and cards from relatives. On the wall hung a large photo timeline with events marked in days, and typed song lyrics with 10,000 in them were posted throughout the house.

I thank God for the 10,000 days he's blessed me with this creative man. I'm filled with wonder as I anticipate what the next 10,000 will hold for us.
—Kathy English, Illinois

Post-it passion

My husband placed colorful Post-it notes filled with his expressions of love in different places around our home. Some were erotic, others expressed how he felt about me and us. He put one on the wall in my bathroom, one in the refrigerator, another inside my laptop, and one inside my eyeglasses case. The notes weren't conspicuous—I discovered them over a period of time. Each one filled my heart with joy and made me laugh.
—Randee Alston, North Carolina

Watching the body clock

Because my husband, Walter, understands that my monthly cycle affects me both emotionally and physically, he now plans for it. Using his Daytimer, he marks off in seven-day increments the dates of different stages in my cycle. If we need to plan a vacation or discuss an important issue, Walter will do so during the first week, when I'm the most positive and have the most energy. On the other hand, he'll back off from discussing hot topics or scheduling activities during the third week, when I tend to be emotionally and physically drained.

Of course, my body doesn't operate like clockwork on a perfect 28 day schedule! But Walter's sensitivity to my needs not only minimizes stress between us, but shows me how much he loves me.
—Teryl Hegel, Illinois

Making a tough call

When my father passed away suddenly after hip surgery, my husband knew that notifying all our relatives and friends would be an emotional task for me, as I'm an only child and my mother had passed away three years previously. He made all the calls, sometimes speaking with individuals he'd never met. I'll always cherish the memory of his special way of showing his love for me, and for my father.
—Grace Wilkinson, Florida

Pass the chips

I love "folded" potato chips. When John and I eat chips together, he never says a word. He just smiles and hands the folded chips from his bag to me as he comes to them. Each one of those potato chips is a love note to me.
—Linda Gilden, South Carolina

Linda Gilden's and John Gilden's acts of love taken from Linda's recent book, Love Notes on His Pillow (New Hope).

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