Three Little Words

The other day I was at Cassie's house as she was leaving for work. She was walking out the door and called to me, "Bye Em, love you!" Without skipping a beat I called right back, "Bye, Honey. I love you, too!"

And then I stopped and just stood there, feeling how amazing that felt. Three little words. I Love You. Amazing to hear. Amazing to say. Like warm honey. Or Sunshine. Or Magic.

I was born with those words just kind of naturally dripping out of my mouth. My entire life, it seems, I have felt love so deeply it hurts. And if I love, I express it. Always have, always will. If I love someone, it just makes no freaking sense to keep it a secret. If someone is incredible and lovable why the hell would I NOT tell them?

I'm not talking about love of the romantic variety. Telling someone you love them THAT way must done in the right time and in the right way. I'm not talking about the I-don't-want-to-live-without-you-I-think-about-you-all-the-time-please-jump-my-bones-and-have-babies-with-me kind of love. I'm talking about the I-see-who-you-are-you-are-incredible-and-lovable-and-make-the-world-a-better-place-to-be kind of love.

I look around me and I see a world that is just so screwed up when it comes to love. We are so afraid of it. We misuse it. We use it as a weapon to hurt or manipulate. We withhold it - carefully measuring out only just enough. We only give it if we are certain to have it returned - or only give the exact amount we expect we will be given.

It stuns me how many friends I have that I love dearly, and I know they love me, but when I say, "I love you," they stutter and stammer and get flushed and skip right over it and change the subject. It makes me sad. Not because they don't say it back, I know they love me. I don't say it to manipulate them into saying it. I don't say it because I want me to hear it, I say it because I want them to hear it. I want them to know it. They deserve to know they are amazing and incredible and thoroughly lovable. We all do.

Here is my Thanksgiving challenge to you. If you are a person who has a hard time saying "I love you," SAY IT. This week is a week for being grateful. We all have people in our lives that we are grateful for. TELL THEM. If you are a person who has a hard time hearing "I Love You," GET THE HELL OVER IT. Seriously. Hear it, take it in and say it back. Don't question it, ignore it, gloss over it or dismiss it. Give it generously and receive it gratefully.

Love is delicious. Love is life giving. Love is not to be hoarded or stored up for some distant future. There is an endless supply with more than enough to go around. Love is everywhere - in ridiculous amounts. Love is to be felt and bathed in and celebrated. Pour it on, soak it up, drink it down, roll in it, sing it, breathe it, dream it, live it. It will change everything. I promise.

Happy Thanksgiving Internetland.

I Love You.