The "L" Word

You can use the word love in any number of situations but you should always mean it when you say it. Even on those most inauspicipous of occasions there has to be a solid base of truth if you opt to use that particular word. You can say: I love how you look, I love what you're wearing, I love your new car, I love your new home, I love your haircut, I love your mother-in-law, I love the new art in the living-room, I love the patio you built, I love what you've done to your office and I love the cabinetry in your kitchen as long as the sentiment is truthful. You should say 'I love you' to all those you really do love and you should never be afraid to say it as often as you like because it's beyond perfect when you want to express how you feel. There will however always be those times when you do not quite know how to respond when someone says it to you and therein lies the rub. You can never say it back unless it comes from the heart. Nobody who is brave enough to tell someone that they love them expects to have the the same words returned in kind. If the words are honestly given back then bonus, but if not, it's not the end of the world. You should be able to say I love you as often as you want to with no fear of recrimination but be sure never to use the "L" word when you think it's the 'right' way to respond.. if you do, it won't count because in order to qualify as a bonafide "L" word it has to come from deep down inside and it has to be true. I always say it at the end of every telephone conversation with my family, and it was the last thing I got to say to my dad. I think that the "L" word is more powerful then we know and certainly not for the faint of heart, because it comes with a very weighty responsibility that few can shoulder without buckling.