THE QUOTE

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need; by sun and candle—light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old grief's, and with my childhood's faith
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath.
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning
[Picture: Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Source http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:410px-Elizabeth-Barrett-Browning,_Poetical_Works_engraving_flipped.png]

THE LOVE NOTE

K—

Well, I think these two blogs (this one, and The 52 Love Songs Project, both count as counting the ways I love you. So read and count on!

—J

THE GREAT RELATIONSHIP PRINCIPLE

Count the ways. Literally. Take out a sheet of paper, or type on the computer, a list of all the ways, big and small, silly and profound, you love your partner. Make this an ongoing list. Share it with your partner all at once and/or leave notes and phone messages, send emails and texts daily with the following, "I love you because ______________." Fill your mind and your partner's with all that is right instead of focusing on all that is wrong.