Love, Feh
I’ve hear it time and time again. That nasty, misunderstood, and often painful word: “Love”. “Love” used as a generic term for everything good. “Love” used to describe delusion, enablers, sex, lust, teenage angst, midlife angst, general angst, momentary passion,… used to describe all kinds of things… from puppies, to silly images, to certain food groups.
Love!
I think that it is the most misused word in the English language. And the single word that leads to more personal strife than any other. I think that you have to make clear what you mean by love! More importantly, you need to make clear what you are thinking about when you say love!
Most people say it. Most people, as far as I can discern, don’t really know what it means.
What does love mean to you?
For me, love can mean so many things as to make the word almost useless… and yet I use it. I say “I love you”… and “my love”. I know what it means, and yet I don’t know if my listener knows what it means. Perhaps I should change tactics, in the name of honesty?
Saying Love In A Better Way
When you or I are with a life-mate and departing for a day or longer, one with whom we have poured out a good portion of our life’s energies, perhaps we should say “I love you. I love you deeply, as friend, as passionate goddess, as protector and committed mother to my family, and I reaffirm that commitment with these simple words. I love you.”
When you are with a lover, or girlfriend, perhaps a potential life-mate: “I love you. I love you deeply, as a growing friend, as sexy hot partner in the bed, with growing respect tempered by growing understanding, and I reaffirm that intention with these simple words. I love you.
When you are on the phone, or otherwise communicating with a partner who is in your life, you could say “I love you. I miss you every second that we are apart, my life seems somehow less without you, I think about you, and yet I feel good that we are both doing things that we have need to do. I love you.”
When, after a long difficult time, say a fight, a hard job, or a major life change, you should say “I love you. I still love you deeply, as a supportive friend, and a protective companion willing to fight for you, yes, still as a passionate sex-goddess, and I would do it all again because you mean the world to me. I Love you.”
Finally, when I hear “Luv You” quickly blurted at the point of departing or arriving… That “Luv You” wrecks all other senses of love. It really sounds like an automatic punctuation to end the need for any real departing sentiment. The person can leave, feeling as if he or she has fulfilled their social obligation to the person who lives with them, or just dates them. In fact, I’ve heard this phrase uttered with anything but love (of any sort). Give it up!