52 reasons why I love you: a reason for every card in the deck
Fifty-two reasons, thirteen to a suit, for a deck of cards they can draw from every week of the year.
52 reasons ·
Fifty-two reasons why I love you is one of the sweetest homemade gifts there is: a deck of playing cards with a reason written on every card, so they can draw one a week for a whole year. It works for Valentine's Day, an anniversary, a birthday or just because.
The deck sorts itself. Below are 52 reasons why I love you, thirteen to a suit: hearts for how they love you, diamonds for who they are, clubs for the fun, and spades for the hard times you've come through. Borrow them as they are, or better, swap in your own details: the real song, the real street, the thing they actually said.
Stuck for your own? The free reasons generator turns a few true things about them into ten reasons to start from.
Make it a book: Reasons I Love You holds fifty reasons, one per page, written from your memories and illustrated to look like your people. Start yours
Hearts: how you love me
- You still reach for my hand when we cross the street.
- You say "I love you" like it's news, every single time.
- You notice when I go quiet, and you ask the right question.
- You make me feel like the best part of your day.
- You save me the last bite and pretend you're full.
- You kiss me goodbye even when you're running late.
- You remember the small things I only mention once.
- You hold on a little longer when you can tell I need it.
- You still look at me the way you did on our first date.
- You say nice things about me to other people when I'm not there.
- You make my favorite dinner when I've had a bad week.
- You leave notes where only I'll find them.
- You love me on the days I find it hard to love myself.
Diamonds: who you are
- You're kind to waiters, strangers and everyone in between.
- You're the most honest person I know, even when it's inconvenient.
- You get excited about things most people walk straight past.
- You're braver than you think you are.
- You keep your promises, the big ones and the tiny ones.
- You're patient with my family, and with me.
- You always know what to say when someone's hurting.
- You give the best advice, then let me ignore it.
- You work hard and never make a fuss about it.
- You're curious about everything, from bugs to black holes.
- You forgive quickly and never keep score.
- You have the best laugh I've ever heard.
- You make every room you walk into feel warmer.
Clubs: the fun of us
- You turn a trip to the grocery store into a date.
- You're the best person to get lost with.
- You sing in the car, badly and with total commitment.
- You do voices for the dog, and the dog loves it.
- You never let me win at cards, and I love you for it.
- You say yes to my worst ideas, and some of them turn out great.
- You know every word to the songs from our first year.
- You plan surprises and are terrible at keeping them secret.
- You dance in the kitchen whether or not anyone's watching.
- You make Sunday mornings my favorite part of the week.
- You have road trip snacks down to a science.
- You laugh at my jokes before I've finished telling them.
- You make the boring jobs fun just by being there.
Spades: the hard times we've dug through
- You stayed when it would have been easier to go.
- You sat with me in the waiting room and never once checked your phone.
- You told me the truth when I needed to hear it.
- You took on more than your share when I couldn't.
- You never once made me feel like a burden.
- You apologize first, even when it's half my fault.
- You held it together when I couldn't, and let go only when I could hold you.
- You believed in me before I believed in myself.
- You fought for us when we were both tired.
- You made the hardest year feel survivable.
- You've seen me at my worst and stayed for my best.
- You make me want to be better, without ever asking me to change.
- You're still the person I'd choose, every time.
How to make a 52 reasons deck of cards
You need a plain deck of playing cards, or a pack of blank ones, and a fine pen. Write one reason on the face of each card, in the white space around the numbers, or use small labels if your handwriting runs large. Match the suits if you like: hearts for how they love you, diamonds for who they are, clubs for the fun and spades for the hard times.
Use the jokers too: one as a title card, "52 reasons why I love you," and one for the date and your name. Tie the deck with a ribbon or slide it back into its box, and suggest they draw one card every Monday, so the reasons last the year.
Write a few spares before you start. Fifty-two is more than it sounds, and it's easier to drop your weakest five than to find three more at midnight.
Other ways to give 52 reasons
A jar of 52 folded notes, one to open each week. A text every Monday morning for a year. A reason tucked into their lunch, their coat pocket or the book they're reading, one a week until the year runs out.
Or a book that keeps them all in one place. Reasons I Love You holds fifty reasons, one per page, written from your memories, with the two of you illustrated on the cover. Write the last two in the card.
Whichever you choose, specific beats poetic. "You sing in the car" is sweet. "You sang every word of our song on the drive to your mom's, and got half of them wrong" is the card they'll keep.
If you'd like your reasons to outlast a deck of cards, Reasons I Love You puts fifty of them in a book with the two of you illustrated on the cover. The digital book is $12 and the hardcover is $49. For more reasons to borrow, see 50 reasons why I love you, 100 reasons I love you and deep reasons why I love you.
Questions people ask
What is a 52 reasons why I love you deck?+
A deck of 52 playing cards with a reason you love someone written on each one, so they can draw one a week for a year. It's a favorite homemade gift for Valentine's Day, anniversaries and birthdays.
How do you make 52 reasons why I love you cards?+
Take a plain or blank deck of cards and write one reason on each, using the suits to sort them: hearts for how they love you, diamonds for who they are, clubs for the fun, spades for the hard times. Use the jokers for a title card and your name, and tie it with a ribbon.
What do you write on 52 reasons cards?+
Short, specific reasons, one per card. Mix the big things, like how they stood by you, with small ones, like how they make your coffee. A real detail on each card makes it sound like you, not a greeting card.
Can I give the reasons as a book instead?+
Yes. Reasons I Love You holds fifty reasons, one per page, with the two of you illustrated on the cover, and the last two fit in the card. The digital book is ready minutes after you approve it.
