I Love You More-ther by K. Denise Holmberg

Ryne
It was our nighttime ritual.

“I love you, Ryno,” I would say.

“I love you more-ther,” my three-year old son would answer.

He had freckles on his nose, a missing front baby tooth from a slip at a pool, and the sweetest voice this side of heaven.

My middle son, Ryne, was like most middle children, compliant, independent and agreeable. He usually stayed out of trouble and was the easiest of my kids to parent.

Weighty Wisdom From My Child

 One night, after sharing that I loved him more than to the moon and back, more than around the earth a million times, more than anything in the world, he simply answered, "I love you more-ther."

To this day, that little phrase that tumbled out of the toothless grin of a three-year old, is still used frequently in our family.

It is a profound little statement.

It wraps everything up with a tidy bow.

The Many Ways People Say “I Love You”

I love you more than chocolate, bacon, butter, a sea of flowers, a garden of smiles, and a world of hugs.

I love you more than ducks love water, bees love honey, zombies love brains. (Seeing if you are still with me.)

More than a redneck loves his truck, more than a cough loves a sneeze, more than Romeo loves Juliet.

But the simple statement, “I love you more-ther” includes it all.

It doesn’t matter what simile you use, what noun you throw at it, it is love that is more-ther, more than it all.

Like Love That God Shows Us

From the gifts he gives us in Matthew 7:11: “If you then, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more-ther will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” 

To the love He shows us in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world more-ther, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

 God simply loves you and me more-ther than all creation combined.

This Saint Got It

Saint Augustine was one of the most significant Christian thinkers of all time. He helped lay the very groundwork for modern Christian thought. Like Ryne at three, I think he managed to sum it up simply too with this statement, “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us”.

God loves you more-ther than he loves me. God loves me more-ther than he loves you.

Maybe only a parent understands how that can be true.

Maybe only a toddler could express love that is greater than all else in one simple phrase.
Ryne & Mom

I love you more-ther.

Blessings to all!
KDH








Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 7, 2016 at 7:12 AM

    Thank you for the reminder that God does love each and everyone of us. Because we live in the T'Now (one of your previous blogs) we need to say "I Love You" more often to those we do love. So T'Now I simply say I LOVE YOU KDH!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sharon HornMarch 10, 2016 at 2:39 PM

    Love this.

    Out of the mouths of babes.... :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMarch 10, 2016 at 6:56 PM

    Ahhhh... love for your children and love from your children~ one of the best things in life!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Author KD HolmbergMarch 11, 2016 at 4:58 AM

      Absolutely! We are so blessed. Thanks for the comment.

      Delete
  4. brittney.hallenbeckMarch 10, 2016 at 7:08 PM

    This is wonderful. I had no idea Ryne was the one who originated that! Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Author KD HolmbergMarch 11, 2016 at 5:00 AM

      Thank you. I'm glad you stopped by. I love you more-ther!

      Delete

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