what if "I love you" was taken away?

Some people I know feel secure in their relationship because their partner frequently says "I love you" to them. Somehow these 3 magic words evoke a sense of assurance and belonging that the other person is truly in love with him/her, and have no interest in someone else. My wife and I have been married many years. We get along very well, our relationship is very strong, yet we don't usually say these three magic words very often. We do express it once in a while, but more often than not, our actions dictate the quality of our relationship. Maybe it is our culture or that we are not so outwardly expressive, but our relationship remains on solid ground and in fact grow fonder over the years. Even if we don't say "I love you" to each other, in our hearts we don't feel that we love each other less. Our affection is also shown by the way we feel and touch each other. For us, action speaks much louder than words. Here are some of the ways love manifests in our lives through our actions. We live for each other, and so our lives revolve around each other. Anything that involves our family and household, we will usually discuss together, debate over the pros and cons, and make joint decisions which are in our best interest. We may not always agree on every issue, but we will always try and find an amicable compromise where there are differences. We are best friends. We have very open communication. We confide in each other, and share our feelings, our joyful moments, our excitement, our successes and failures, our disappointments and hurts. We laugh together and cry together. Our common feelings bond us closer together. When we don't see each other for some time, we'll miss each other and feel concerned for each other. We feel there is a lot of trust in our relationship. This also makes us feel that each other is reliable. My wife lets me handle her money matters and gives me access to her financial accounts so I can help her make payments, move money around. I in turn will make sure I update her whenever her money is touched, and this promotes trust between us. Trust is one of the cornerstone of a strong, loving and healthy relationship. A relationship falls apart easily if that trust is betrayed. Last but not least, we do little things for each other, often without asking. And when it comes to any taska involving the household, whether it is buying the groceries, cleaning the home, etc. we each feel we want to do our fair share, so that our partner is not burdened at our expense if one of us just stands aside and do nothing. We do this because we love each other and feel that we want to do things together, and to have that sense of shared responsibility towards each other.

i show my boyfriend that i love him by understanding the things that are close to his heart and thinking about what he would like. little things like putting flowers on his dads grave or reconnecting him with an old friend. it makes me feel good when i can make him smile and its the little things in life that makes us both smile. the little hug the i love you all those things

*LOL*, honestly i prefer to say "I LOVE YOU" rather than giving treatment which expressed "I LOVE YOU" feeling. why is it so? caused in my herritage, it is not common to say "I LOVE YOU" directly to our spouse. most of us in my place just express their "I LOVE YOU" feeling by silence or by doing house hold activites properly. it is really weird to say "I LOVE YOU" in my herritage and i don't like that. so i prefer to say "I LOVE YOU" directly to my spouse rather than show another similiar action with "I LOVE YOU" ;)

“I love you” is really a sentence of three words. But it has very wide and vast meanings. This sentence describes all of your inner self. If you do not want to deliver such sentence to show your love to your hubby. There is no need to say him that you love him. Your eyes will say it all. Your action or body language will tell it all to your military man. Love does not require words and sentences to prove its existence.

I'm sorry to hear your husband is away. I hope nowhere dangerous. Your telling him you love him by being with his daughters and treating them like your own. There is no better way of saying it than what you are doing. I commend you for this. My husbands daughters are adults now but we get together quite often. His oldest daughter goes to university so during the week she stays with us since we live closer to the university and on the weekends she goes home. She is 25 years old and taking nursing and will be finished in one year. His yonger daughter, who is 23, comes over on the weekends to visit, when she isn't working. She goes to college and will be finished this year. My daughter lives in another province so we don't see each other as much as we would like and my son and his wife live close to us and we see each other often. Kids are wonderful and they are the best way we can tell our spouses we love them.

You are a sweetheart! Your hubby is a lucky man to have you!! This is an awesome discussion because I never thought about what would happen if we couldn't say the words, "I love you" to our significant other. My boyfriend and I have been dating almost four years now. It's been an amazing journey. The beginning was rough, to be honest with you. He had been in several relationships before in high school and such, and one of those included a semi-serious relationship. I've never dated anyone else, so it's really an eye-opener for me. Before starting to date him, I never knew what it was like. Of course, I'm thne kind of girl who's serious about marriage. I wouldn't have dated him if I wasn't planning on marrying him! We've had our struggles, but overall it's been well worth it. I can't wait to marry him! I tell my man I love him every single day. He usually initiates it and, of course, I say it right back! I don't want those words to be just something we say when we get off the phone, though. They're special, should be cherished, and used carefully and wisely. If we couldn't say "I love you," I think it would be ok because it's not all about the words. It's about what you do to show that person your true feelings for them. My biggest demonstration of affection to my boyfriend is to buy him things and make him happy. I know that sounds kind of weird like I buy him whatever he wants, but that's how I show him. I also wrote him tons of notes when we were in college together. We now live with our parents an hour apart from each other, so sometimes I'll send him e-mails and chat with him online. I send him text messages constantly because we can't help but communicate with each other! I used to write him notes and letters more when we were in college. More than any of these things, though, I want to be the woman he loves to be with and looks forward to being with while we're apart. I want to be there for him in every way possible. I will do things I don't want to do sometimes because he wants me to. I'll go out of my way to make time for him in my life. I'll give up things for him. Sometimes I'll spend time with him rather than friends because I enjoy his company. I hope that when we get married I can be the kind of wife you are for your husband! I'm sure it's difficult for you to be patient to see your husband again. I bet it's also hard not always knowing what he's doing or if he's ok. It takes a lot of faith and trust on your part! I believe the greatest demonstration of love is honesty and selflessness. Wouldn't you agree? It's all about our actions towards our guys because actions speak louder than words! This is a beautiful discussion. Thanks for sharing your story as well as your advice. It's been nice learning some things from your discussion that I can apply to my own relationship. Thanks a bunch, Katkah, and keep up the good work!

My hubby is also in army and we have stayed serate for almost six years. It took a toll on our relationship but we never gave up hope and it has taken almost an year for us to rebuild the relationship and I think biggest test of relationship is enduring the stranger in your spouse.In six years our lives had taken a different paht altogether and it a so difficult to give up our individual freedoms and readjust to each other's schedules and plans but it was worth it. I think thats the strength of our love.

Love is much more than those 3 words; it's a look, a touch, a smile, a hug, a kiss, or just being there, savouring each other's company, speaking without talking, falling asleep in each other's arms, cuddling on the couch...those 3 words are just the vocal meaning of all of these actions.

My husband and I have been sitting here all evening just holding onto eachother. He made me an amazing dinner tonight, and I like to leave little notes around the house for him with all kinds of things written on them. There are all kinds of ways to tell someone that you love them.

I show my husband I love him by fixing his favorite foods, cleaning up after him without grumbling (he is a slob) and same for my children actually too!

I have been to my wife for 22 years..and the closest we come to this is my wife says i am her best friend..and i say likewise...when it comes to uttering these three magic words..i remember growing up and these three words were thrown around on all over the place..but in reality? well, i try to do things that make my wife not have to do them but sometimes she does not like this.. i was just told "do not water my plants!:" and in a very unloving fashion...she was gone for abut 45 days and i was in the habit of doing this...but now i am forbidden..also i keep the humidifier full of water as the house is too dry and my nose bleeds if there is no humidity..well she don't like this..but this is one thing i insist on doing... i have a very good electric air cleaner in the bedroom...a HEPPA filder and it cleans the air 24/7 but she don't like this too as it is not her thing..but we both suffer from allergies...and sometimes doing things for the other person good is a way of saying I love You..i stocked up the grocerys for food and try to buy the foood she likes as she is recovering from the flu..and of course somethings I buy she got so mad the just threw them in the garbage..like I bought some corn chips as she has 20 + jars of salsa..and i figured if we had guests could use them.... the point is putting up with a person with all their quirks and inconsisten behavior is a form of saying I love you..when my wife was gone for 45 days..she would call a lot..and talk over an hour at a time...and i knew she was homesick..but she has came home sick...and when MAMA is not happy..nobody is happy..so i just try to stay out of her way and pray for the best.. when we first met we would write to each other about every day..as she was working in Tokyo and I was in the US..so we did this for 4 years ..from 1981 until 1985..so many cards, letters, tape recording, and of course telephone calls..this was before the internet ...good luck with your husband in Iraq..I was in the Military during the Viet Nam era..but I did did not leave my home state of Michigan except for basic training in Texas...I was stationed in Soo, Michigan but we did our duty to ship a lot of stuff to our troops in Viet Nam... You always will cherish the days of struggle..as this is when you know your true love and it will make your family even stronger.

You don't really need those three words to convey how you feel. Actions usually speak louder than words and are more sincere. Depending on whose point of view we're looking at. I used to do this with my ex. He loved peanut butter and anything chocolate-y so much so that whenever we saw each other I would always come prepared with either of the two. I would send them text messages letting them know that I'm thinking of them. I write poems for them. Sneak my phone in class just to be able to text them. It's the tiniest things that actually tell them how I feel.

"I love you" is simply that. It's words and at one time I was told by one of my friends in the UK that Americans throw it around all to often. I tend to agree with her. The way I show the one's I love them is simple. Surprises in their lunch once or twice a week. Running my boyfriend's bath water so that when he gets home he can soak. Holding onto each other. Holding hands as we walk through the stores. For my kids, I simply show them my love by letting them know they can talk to me about anything, keeping them happy by taking them to the park and other places. You never know when the ones you love will be taken for you so show them love instead of telling them it. ;)

a simple "i love you" makes my day.. just hearing those words makes me confident that my guy really loves me.. i dont ask for more, i dont ask for more expensive stuffs.. "i love you" are just three words but it means much more than a gift worth a million..

i think word of love no need to be told, i can be shown how you will react even no sound, love will use with out anyword or sound..

i would write little notes that tell him i love him in places he would see them. Cook his favorite meal and plan stuff he likes to do. All those little things show so much.

I let him listen to his Harry Potter Cds, and make the stuff he likes for dinner even though I cannot stand it. I watch his favorite movies with him, go with him to Home Depot to get the lumber for our basement, have coffee at Tim Hortons, and stand waiting for him while he buys Lotto tickets, but then we have been married and he was reluctant to have more than two children so did not want to make love to me when I could get pregnant which was when we were first married, so I do not want to be close to him that much.

Great post. First tell hubby hi from me. I hope everything is going okay. Second , I think it is great that you and his daughter get along so well. I hope her visits help. The way I say I love you with out words is how I treat a person. I always do the little things. I listen and try to help when it is needed.I try to show you that you are very important to me.Here's hoping hubby comes home on leave real soon. Take Care.

I serve him and take good care of him like I do to a child.

lovable , you are great to manage that your kids photo send to your man for his satisfaction who is away in military.This is life in which all turns comes as joy and sorrow . keep it up.