“Love you… love you too”
I have been reflecting on this topic lately, as I had a long conversation about why some people won’t say “love you” or “love you too“. For a large majority of my offline friends (and a few of my online friends), saying “love you lots“, or “love you” or “miss you” seems very easy to say and flows very freely. For others, it would seem as though it stumps them when I say that.
I love my friends, no question about it. And I feel loved by them too. That’s not even a question. I am privileged because I have so many people who care about me. But maybe I’m just too extroverted and too warm. I enjoy saying it, because I mean it. Sometimes I do feel uncomfortable saying it when I can see that my friends may also experience some discomfort.
If I say “I love you” I mean it, and 99.99% of the time, I mean it in the non-romantic, friendly, warm-and-fuzzy, “I really like you in a non-stalkerish kind of way and I value your friendship and the time we spend together (online and offline)“.
Just a mid-afternoon reflection…
Related posts:
- Love Vancouver, Love Your Planet Festival (June 5th, 2011)
- “Love is the only label that doesn’t go out of style”
- Music review – I Believe in a Thing Called Love (The Darkness)
- Blog for love? Your thoughts on inter-blogger love affairs
- Love is where your heart is
Raul: you’re a sweetie-pie
Your love for your friends is genuine. I think too often we have the bad experience of people who say things and don’t mean it. Maybe that’s the hesitation. Or it could be some confusion because they equate love with only the romantic kind.
I think we need more expressions of love/friendship and hugs too!
[...] This post was Twitted by lorene1voice [...]
I love that you say “I love you” to your friends! More people should totally do that, especially when you choose your friends and sometimes they are even closer than family.
I say it too … I’ve lost so many people unexpectedly (and even expectedly) that I now take every opportunity I have to make sure that friends and family know have no doubts about how I feel about them.
I’m also highly skilled in the art of the hug ;-P
Well, only if I love them too, but yes. My friends are very important to me, especially since I get along with so few people already. The ones that I DO get along with, the ones that I can put up with and that can put up with me, are one in a million, and I’d hate for them to think for a minute that I didn’t value them.
“Right back at ya”
Thank you so much everyone, Lorene, Birgit, Peter, Dan, Adele, Patricia
i grew up in a country – germany – where “i love you” is traditionally said only VERY cautiously, and pretty much only in a romantic context. perhaps the reason is that there is something that’s similar (“i hold you dear” might be the best translation), and it may be said between REALLY good friends or parents and children. sometimes.
so saying “i love you” was a huge challenge for me. i throw the word “love” around a lot now because i like the sound and feel of it. it makes me feel good. the more the merrier.
i love you too, raul.