LOVE

What a loaded word..... L O V E

Either so emeshed with hope and desire and longing.... the moment we long to hear someone say " I Love You"......the benchmark of serious relationships.

Or the tender yet fierce vehicle for parental affection...... a word we whisper in tiny ears hoping it imprints on their DNA. A word we call out as they walk into preschool or school or university(?)...

Or the RomCom version, the "I Love you man..... No, I love you more man"....... that somehow manages to make it seem awkward and ridiculous

So many ways we say LOVE 

I believe in Love.  

But I don't take it for granted.

I have longed to hear it spoken to me, shown to me, given to me and I have been blessed to hear it, see it, receive it.

I tell my family I love them many times a day. I treasure every note I have that says "I love you" from Allan and the kids.... every text that says "143".  

It seems easy (most days) to tell my family and extended family I love them.

I easily sign off letter or emails with "Lots of Love" (Which is not what LOL stands for in text language  BTW...... just FYI).

But I did not often say "I love you" out loud to anyone other than my family.

In recent months and years I have been really intentional about saying "I love you" to some of my close friends.  And in every case they have returned that spoken or written or texted affirmation with their own "I love you".

Love is such a gift.  Such a powerful force.

I guess this week its been on my mind that sometimes we don't say what is on our hearts for fear of how it makes us look to others.  

For fear of how others will perceive us.

Maybe age has something to do with my new comfort in saying "I love you" out loud.  

Maybe the world seems so out of control I feel I need to hear it and say it and show it more.  

Maybe my faith is a little more alive at the moment and I understand (in part) the great love given freely to me and the imperative to share it.

I don't know exactly...... 

What I do know is I choose LOVE.  I choose to love those around me and I am not afraid to say it out loud when it's true.

Tell someone you love them today and lets change the world one "I love you" at a time....... Deal?

                                                                        Photo by Lindsay