My mother was quite physically affectionate with us. They both spent a lot of time talking to us about things. We went on family vacations and outings. I don’t remember them actually saying I love you but I imagine they did.

For the sake of balance, I would like to interject that my parents do not indeed love me. They disowned me, because I am gay.

I show my love for my children by telling them that in words often, and by spending time with them, which is difficult since they do not live in Hawaii. I also send occasional gifts.

So, some people have parents who love them? Hmm

My mother sang to me, as a child. She got up extra early, to make sure I got to school. On the way to school, she’d make me recite the multiplication tables, and other things.
There are many different ways, she expressed her love for me.
She read to me every night, and made sure that I was well traveled, and that experienced many cultures.

My father told me multiple times, although he is not an articulate man, “if I had to, I’d pull my own heart out for you.”
He proved many times, that he was willing to die for me.

One example. My mother and I were on an inner tube, floating in the ocean by the beach. The current took us. I was very young, but I remember it well. We drifted, until we could barely see land. My mother kept screaming for my father. It scared me. I had not seen her so afraid before. He swam, what must have been many hundreds of yards out to us. Grabbed the inner tube, and pulled us back to shore. Against the current. When we got to shore, it was obvious that he had given every ounce of his strength, to pull it off. He laid on the sand, for some time before he could even get up… But, he saved us…

He was ex-special forces, in the army. He was also a skilled hunter, and fisherman. Amongst other things.
He taught me everything he knew. He was also capable of doing things that not many people could do physically. He was a body builder, and I’m sure that helped. But. He showed me how a person can gather strength and accomplish amazing things…
I learned a lot from observation.
He would pick up, and carry things, that seemed impossible.
He was also a former drill sergeant. So. He made me chop down trees, dig ditches, and all sorts of things. I thought he was being cruel sometimes. But. Looking back, he was trying to make a man out of me…

When I think back to when I was a LEO, and/or bouncer, I think about the situations I faced.
I got beaten to the ground a few times, fighting multiple people. As I was taking the beating, I thought about my father. I thought about the fact that he would never have given up. I thought about the impossible things he did. And I found the ability to get up, and fight back. Absorb the punishment, and pull through. I earned a reputation for being able to face incredible odds, and still handle them. My men had a great respect for me. I was fearless, against any person, or amount of people. My men, knew that. So. They followed me into some crazy situations. And, we would prevail. 4 of us, against 12. We’re going in. None of my men, were every severely injured, or killed… Nor, did anyone under my direct control, kill anyone…

When I was a young teenager, my father would call for me. I’d be in my room, or whatever. When I went to him, he’d punch me, usually in the balls…And he’d say “you left yourself, wide open.” So. Again. It seemed cruel. But now. I understand footwork, and to protect myself, at all times.

I’m quite knowledgeable about firearms, fishing, hunting, self defense, using a shovel, or an axe, etc…

I guess, in short. My mother taught me about love, and education, and my father taught me how to be self dependent, resourceful, and how to live in nature…

They showed their love, in different ways. But. They wouldn’t have done all these things, if they didn’t love me…

@Hawaii_Jake . I’m sorry for your plight. If it makes any difference, you have my love, and respect…

Peace n love, brother…

They showed it by reading to me, helping me when I needed it, hugging me, high-fiving me, accepting me when I came out as gay, telling me beforehand that they would love me no matter if I was gay/bi/trans, etc., by taking an interest in my life and listening to me prattle on about my interests even though I’m sure they would rather be watching TV, by telling me I could always move back home if something didn’t work out…no, we’re not the kind of family that says “love you” every time we step outside the house but it’s obvious that we love each other. My parents have fortunately been showing that fact to me my entire life.

My whole family has always expressed love with words, time and attention.
Mom has always been my best friend and my worst enemy. What touched me most was her crying about bills and telling me she was sorry she couldn’t give me everything. When she cried asking me to give her my paychecks to help pay bills. When she sat me down to talk about my anger with my bio dad and how sorry she was she picked a bad man.
Her emotional honesty is what bonded us more than anything and showed she loved me enough not to lie to me.

Too many ways to list but they were always there for me.
I had great parents. :)

Good food and a comfortable roof. They have flaws, but I have come to appreciate the best in them.

And the food is getting better with time, to the point that I don’t feel like eating out these day :D

Well…they were there. More tomorrow.

They were/are always there for me. He wants to talk to be several times a week and see me whenever possible. He’s the only person who remembers my wedding anniversary. He’s the only person who sends birthday cards to me, my husband and my children. He tells me every time we see or speak to each other that he loves me.

I say he because my mom isn’t alive. She did all these things as well when she was with us.

My parents doted on us. They achieved this without smothering or stifling us. My brother and sister and I still talk about the wonder of it and how unbelievably fortunate we were. I don’t know whether it’s something that can be taught or inherited, but I was astonished to see it duplicated in my son and my wonderful daughter-in-law. They live for their 2 boys nearly to the exclusion any other consideration, except I believe they confuse both sets of grandparents for their other 4 kids. It’s been a damned good and lucky lucky life.

My father was a big hugger and was there for every baseball game, every Cub Scout meeting. We built models together and went to Red Sox games. He was very involved.

My mother, particularly when I was younger, could be a big kid herself. Goofy and wild. I learned later that she was being manic and it was part of her mental illness, but at the time, I though she was just fun.

My father would tell me he loved me regularly. My mother, on the other hand, if she was upset (which was often) would say, “I don’t think I love you right now.” This was confusing and probably worse than the name calling, which was frequent as well.

@cookieman My mom said ‘I love you but I dont like you right now. Go to your room.’ Hurt my feelings terribly but it worked well.

@MrGrimm888 Thank you.

Most of the ways mentioned above, but sometimes really special. We were relatively poor, but my Dad was an inventor and DIY. He once assembled bikes for us three Kids out of free used parts and painted mine like a Palomino horse, complete with a white mane and tail.

@KNOWITALL: My aunt used that phrase in her kids too. That, at least, qualifies the statement.

No problem Jake…

Neither of them were very affectionate, but I knew they loved me. Dad was very rarely emotional. They both did their jobs taking care of us, and that was enough for them. Dad supported the family, Mom took care of the kids and house.

^I don’t think that arrangement, is so common now. Both parents have to provide some sort of income.
If I had a family, I would prefer that the mother could raise our children. Or me… It just seems like a good idea. To me…

I had to get dropped off at school almost two hours early. And then, I had to wait an additional two hours, after school to be picked up.
It was kind of wasted time, for me…Although, that was only a couple of years, in elementary school…

I know. I was lucky. Dad made good money as a Boeing executive. Times were different. The economy was different. They had a house built for $35,000 in 1968. 13 years later it sold for almost $200,000.
We took vacations galore.

^Agreed. Times, are different…

Everything costs more, and wages are lower…

People just can’t raise a family, off of one job. I am not necessarily old, but I can remember paying $1.09, for a gallon of gas. Rent, was, on average, half of what is now. A gallon of milk, costs more than a gallon of gas. WTF?
And wages, and hours, have been reduced.
I’ve had to work three jobs, just to be poor, in the last 15 years…

Booooo…...

And THAT in a nutshell tells you how the times have and will continue to change.

^Yeah. I need to find a job, I can get paid for while sleeping. Then I could have 4 jobs…