Love signs. Do you have them? We do in our family. They are little gestures or looks that we use to communicate with one another from across a room. Some moms (even myself) have mastered the “death look” and her kids know her intended message, but this is not the kind I’m talking about. I’m talking about the kind that lets your love for one another shine.

One of the ways that we have done this is by flashing the sign language for “I love you” when we cannot talk, but want to pass on our love message. For example, when my husband drives away to work in the morning, we sign “I love you”. In my friend’s family, they also add a little “Gotcha” game element to it. When they show “the sign”, they shout (or mouth) “gotcha” to see who can do it the fastest.

While on our real road trip this past week, my littlest son brought to life a new love sign to our family–winking. I’ve winked at my kids before, but didn’t really think much about it, but apparently he had been watching and trying to copy me. When I stop to really think about it, it makes me feel special when I realize that someone is winking at me so he must have felt that way too and wanted to pass it on. All week, he worked on his winking. It was the most hysterical thing to watch his face get all contorted up and try to pass on his love message to me. At least he was past the blinking (or double winking) thing, he could actually control only one eye, but it was with much effort. It took quite an effort, on my part, to not bust up laughing at him because I knew that would crush his spirit. His heart was in the right place so I buttoned my lip and winked right back at him.

I love these gestures of love that we have for one another. Sometimes that wink or that sign for “I love you” can be just the right thing to make my day. How could I not smile, no matter how bad things are, when my children are trying to communicate their love for me? On the flip side, not being a very touchy person, I love these signs because I don’t have to touch anyone, but yet my message is sent. I also have to work on making sure that I am also sending these messages and not just receiving them. These are just the things to make me stop and make sure that I’ve told my kids that “I love them” each and every day.

What about you? In your family, do you have something special or secret that you do that is for “family only”? Do you have a tradition that displays your love? If not, start small–anything that will communicate to one another a positive message. Oh ya…and don’t forget the driver. He needs to get that special look too…