It's uncanny that just a few days back I was talking to my boyfriend about this and he was surprised that my mom never told us that she loves us. It was understood with many of the dutiful deeds of basic care she did diligently. Yes, I broke the cycle with my kids and show affection with words and physical touch.

The first time my daughter told my mom, "I love you" she didn't even know how to reciprocate, she said "ok" in response. My daughter laughed and then trained her to respond back with an "i love you too." My daughter did what I couldn't do.