Three Little Words

" I love you."  Three little words.  One short sentence.  Yet, these three words can mean so much.  They can cause untold joy, but also great misery.  Some people find it very hard to say, while others utter it for the slightest reason.
" I love you."  What does it mean?  Parents say it to their children.  The words speak of warmth, safety and security.  It says "with my whole heart, unconditionally, wonderfully."  Children say it to their parents.  The words mean "I know you are there for me,  you are my haven, my safety net".  Friends say it to each other and the words imply trust, a bond, loyalty.  Lovers say it and it conveys passion.  It means commitment, it says "You make me feel good, I like being with you, you make my heart sing ".
Three little words.  Not difficult to say, especially not nowadays, people nonchalantly say it in all sort of circumstances and places, but I can't help wondering if we really understand the meaning of those three words.  What is "love" really? This is not an easy question to answer.  The word "love" in English is used to describe many different forms - platonic love, romantic love, sexual love, religious love, etc.  When you read up about love, the concept is quite confounding, especially with our limited English vocabulary.  Yet at the bottom of it all, in its simplest form, love is not just a fleeting feeling.
Real love is not a selfish emotion.  It is not just a pat on the back and the whisper of three little words.  It is also not conditional.  Love is not merely an abstract noun, it is a verb.  Loving requires action.  It means taking an interest in the other person, caring about and for them, putting their needs first.  It means making a choice to keep on loving them no matter what, to make a commitment of continued love.  It means being there for them 24/7, not just when it is convenient for you.  It asks of us to love others, even when we feel that they do not deserve to be loved.
When we realise this, it puts a whole new perspective on those three little words.  Before I next time again say to someone in passing "I love you" I have to ask myself if I am prepared to put their needs first, to be there for them when I would rather be doing something else, to help them rather than talk about them, to walk the extra mile with them?  Suddenly it is not so easy to just say those ' insignificant ' words.  No longer can we utter them merely as a comfort to our own conscious.  We can no longer say " I love you" yet remain indifferent.  Our actions must speak of it, our eyes reflect it and our hearts be filled with it.  I leave you with a quote by Khalil Gibran: " Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit."

If you flutter by here, I wish you love.  Please feel free to comment.  Just click on the words "no comments" or "1 comment " and follow the link.  I would love to hear from you.
of it, our eyes reveal it and our hearts be filled with it.