At some point, every parent plays the game… you look at your child and say "I love you" only to be met with "I Love you more" and you respond with "No, I love you more!" and the game is on!
Every parent who’s played this game also knows there’s a time when their child will break out the "infinity card" and say "Well, I love you times infinity!" and they’re so certain of their victory that you let them win… because… well, you love them more!
One day, my son and I were standing next to the fireplace in the living room when this game broke out. After a few rounds and because I really loved how his mind worked I played the "infinity card" and said, "Well, I love you times infinity!"
I stared at my son and the shocked look on his face, his mind racing, he stammered and then finally blurted out "Well... Well, I love you 8-5 bunches!"
And there it was, the scientific discovery of the number greater than infinity, 8-5 bunches (and I defy any mathematician to prove otherwise).
I looked at him and in that moment I knew there was indeed love beyond infinity and it would forever be known as "8-5 Bunches!"
I feigned defeat! "Oh ya got me! " and I watched as his face lit up, he nodded and walked away and I thought to myself "Little dude, I will always Love You 8-5 Bunches! You may not always know it and, undoubtedly, there will be times when you hate me, but I will always Love You 8-5 Bunches!"
Eventually, I made my way to the kitchen where I found my (then) wife futzing around with something and told her what happened. She chuckled.
Over the years this statement of love became common inside the family. Whether parting for school, a business trip, or ending a phone call, "Love You 8-5 Bunches!" was how we expressed our ultimate love for one another. At some point, in writing and texting one another, Love You 8-5 Bunches! got shortened to LY85B and that stuck.
I tell you all of that, not just to share a great mathematical discovery but because my daughter Katie's stepdad Tom and I were FaceTiming and I learned that Katie's mom, Amanda, signed her last diary entry before her death with "My Dearest Tom and Katie, know that I will always LY85B!"
Because Katie was raised separately from her half-siblings, Amanda and I wanted Katie to grow up with her own family experiences, so we were careful to keep some of these family gems separate.
I’m not sure why Amanda ended her final diary entry with LY85B and now that she’s passed we’ll never know that answer but we will always know there’s a love greater than infinity and it’s 8-5 Bunches!