There are many ways to show someone that you love them. The tried and true ones are usually something like flowers, jewelry, chocolates, sex and more. I think all of those things are great, but sometimes the little things that you don’t think of are the things that mean more.

When you have been with someone for a long time your expressions of love are different. Of course you still have a couple of really hot passionate nights of sex, but it isn’t the only way a person shows someone they love them. Doing something for your partner is a way of showing that you love them; especially if it is a chore they hate to do.

I’ve found many different ways to express my love for my wife. One of the ways I show my wife I love her is by helping out around the house. We each have chores we need to do to make sure the house stays in working order, but over time I've found my chore list becoming longer, by my choice.

I’m no fan of cleaning, and such, but I know my wife hates it just as much as I do, and it is a little way that I can show her that I love her. Nothing makes her more appreciative than when we are finishing dinner, and I tell her, “Go upstairs and relax. I’ll take care of the dishes, give the toddler his bath and put him to bed.”

It’s that little bit of time where she can have a bath, or read a book that means a lot to her. I don’t offer to do that every night. If I did, I would grow to resent it over time, and resenting the very expression you are making is no way to show someone you love them. But several nights a week I make the offer, and she usually is more than happy to take me up on it.

There are other little expressions of love that mean a lot with us. Since we’ve been married, at least once a month during the weekend, I’ll wake up, go get her favorite breakfast and serve her breakfast in bed. Sometimes it’s as simple as a bagel from the good shop down the street, but I suppose it’s the thought that went into it that means the most to her.

Showing someone that you love them comes down to figuring out what would make them happy and then doing it – within reason. It could be something as simple as packing their lunch in the morning before they leave for work, or something as elaborate as whisking them off to Paris for a week. I’ve never done the latter, but I’ve done the former more times than I can count. Packing my wife’s lunch saves five minutes or so every morning, which, when you’re leaving the house at 6:30 AM, means a lot. I know that my wife would love to go to Paris for a week, but since the budget can’t afford it right now we get by on the smaller pleasures.

Lately I’ve also found that a great way to express how I feel about my wife is to tell her what turns me on about her. We’re both approaching our mid-thirties and I’m finding that my wife enjoys and appreciates when I openly admit how attractive I still find her. When she was younger, I suppose she was bashful, or not prepared to hear that I found her attractive, but now she seems to truly appreciate when I tell her about something that turns me on about her.

At first, I didn’t think this was really an expression of love, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it is. I love the whole person, not only her personality, but her body as well. In our modern society, we’ve become so careful in many relationships about not objectifying women that we forget they sometimes like to know they’ve still “got it.” I have found the response that I get when I talk about how great she looked in that dress the other day, or how pretty she is first thing in the morning, is really genuine and appreciative.

The thing you have to be careful about when telling someone you love this is not just do it when you want to get into their pants. You certainly can when you are wanting that, but I have found the random Sunday compliment about her legs while we’re taking a walk shows that you’re not just saying it in hopes of getting something later; you truly are appreciating their appearance in that moment.

Every couple in every relationship finds different ways to express their love for one another. Whatever you find works for you and your partner is great and helps you both create and maintain a stronger bond.