So tell us what’s so good about this one…
How is your beloved better than others,
most beautiful of women?
How is your beloved better than others,
that you so charge us? Song of Songs 5:9
So tell us what’s so special about this one. Tell us what makes him special. What makes him stand out from the crown. Why he is the one.
My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
outstanding among ten thousand.
His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy
and black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves
by the water streams,
washed in milk,
mounted like jewels.
His cheeks are like beds of spice
yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies
dripping with myrrh.
His arms are rods of gold
set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
decorated with lapis lazuli.
His legs are pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as its cedars.
His mouth is sweetness itself;
he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, this is my friend,
daughters of Jerusalem. Song of Songs 5:10-16
She’s found the words to describe her lover. Simile after simile. She can’t stop talking about him. In her eyes, he is simply the best. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And this young woman is in love and beholds the beauty of her lover.
I wonder when the last time was that you looked at your lover in this way. When you were asked to give reasons for your love. When you put into words why you love your partner. When you went into detail about their head, hair, eyes, cheeks, lips, arms, body, legs, mouth, rather than just commenting in passing ‘You look nice tonight, dear.’ When was the last time you actually really looked at your partner?
So…you know what is coming, don’t you? Give me ten reasons why you love your partner. Google it if you’re struggling – ‘Ten reasons why I love you’ in images comes up with a lot of lists. Although some of those are more about what your partner does for you, than what they look like. I know putting the bin out can be a sign of love, but it’s not what we’re looking for here.
It’s my husband’s 50th birthday tomorrow, so this is a great time for me to be showing and telling him how much I love him and why I love him. But, you know, every day is a good day for this really. You don’t need to give me ten reasons why you love your partner. I’m sure your partner would appreciate knowing far more…
