Have you ever heard the acronym SHMILY? It stands for See How Much I Love You. Eric recently talked to a gentleman who plays the SHMILY game with his wife. The rules are simple: you simply write SHMILY on a notecard, greeting card, napkin, or anything you wish and hide it in a spot for your sweetheart to find. Maybe your boyfriend goes to the gym every day after work. Tape a notecard with SHMILY written in happy letters to his post-workout power bar. How excited would your girlfriend be to find a SHMILY under the windshield wiper when she got in her car for work tomorrow morning?!
This game is a fun way to remind your honey that you are thinking about him or her and a way to get into the habit of showing each other love and affection in small, meaningful ways. SHMILY is just the beginning. Ladies, you could also branch out to SHMIRY (See How Much I Respect You) and write a reason you respect him on the note. Gentlemen, how does that sound to you?
When Eric and I were dating, I used to love – and I still love – the smell of his clean t-shirts. One day, I came out to my car at work and saw a figure in my front seat. When I got a little closer I realized he’d put one of his t-shirts on a teddy bear (I’m also a stuffed animal enthusiast) and placed it in my front seat. Of course it brought a giant smile to my face. It was a form of SHMILY and it obviously made an impression on me.
We can’t always give big, elaborate displays of love, but all it takes is a small note with six letters to remind your sweetheart how much he or she means to you. Chances are you and your honey’s SHMILY game will grow and take on new forms in the future. All that matters is that you make a habit out of letting each other know how you feel. SHMILY will be important during rough patches in your future marriage (e.g., after an argument, during financial hardships, when life gets hectic or stressful, etc.) and getting in the habit of leaving each other love notes now will make it that much easier once you’re married and the newness of your relationship fades. The newness of your relationship will fade (just with the passage of time), but affection doesn’t have to fade!
We didn’t think to write SHMILY on cards when we were dating, but Eric and I came up with other signs and words that were personal to us and now when we say or sign them to each other we still feel loved and appreciated. If you know your sweetheart’s love language, you can incorporate that into your SHMILY game if you’d like. If he loves physical touch, you can say something like, “Looking forward to our next bear hug.” If she loves gifts, you may draw a picture of a gift box and say, “I have a little surprise for you later!” and then give her a small forget-me-not gift later that evening. For the acts of service person, you could add a coupon to your SHMILY note and say something like “This is good for one free car wash, etc.” Quality time folks would probably love to see a note about your next big date; whereas, those who love words of affirmation would adore extra words of appreciation.
So start SHMILYing today! ~smile~ Let us know some of the creative places you leave a SHMILY or SHMIRY card and tell us how your boyfriend or girlfriend reacted to the surprise!