What Do You Love Most About Your Spouse?

Today is Valentine’s Day. At the Hyatt household it is the third most important holiday of the year, right after Easter and Christmas.

When our five daughters were at home, Gail always made a big deal out of it. We ate breakfast on special valentine plates, and exchanged candy and cards.

I still like to make a big deal out of it. I have been married for almost thirty-six years. I love Gail more today than ever. She is my best-friend, my lover, my therapist, my business partner, and my constant companion.

Here are the top ten things I love about her:

1. She is the most positive person I know. I could count on one hand the times I have seen her down.
2. She is totally fearless and simply doesn’t have the capacity to worry about anything.
3. She is always learning—reading books, listening to podcasts, and spontaneously interviewing others.
4. She is warm and affectionate. Many of my daughters’ friends think of her as their second mother. I think some of them think of her as their first mother.
5. She is a great listener. She asks excellent questions. She is genuinely interested in other people.
6. She loves to do things with me. If I take up a hobby, she takes it up. If I like a certain kind of food or music, she learns to like it.
7. She is tender and compassionate. She cries when she watches “Extreme Makeover,” “Super Nanny,” or even “The Dog Whisperer.”
8. She makes me feel super-human. My success is largely because Gail has been my constant cheerleader and my biggest fan.
9. She is passionate about her relationship with God. She is constantly growing and becoming more spiritually mature with each passing year.
10. And, finally—let’s be honest—she is really, really cute.

What about you? What do you love about your spouse? Remember, where attention goes, emotion flows. If you want to experience more passion in your relationship, start by expressing your affection.