*There
are times when we are timid and shy about expressing the
love we feel. For fear of embarrassing the other person,
or ourselves, we hesitate to say the actual words "I
love you." So we try to communicate the idea in other
words.
*We say 'take care'
or 'don't drive too fast' or 'be good.' But really, these
are just other ways of saying 'I love you,' 'you are important
to me,' 'I care what happens to you,' 'I don't want you
to get hurt.'
*We are sometimes
very strange people. The only thing we want to say, and
the one thing that we should say, is the one thing we don't
say. And yet, because the feeling is so real, and the need
to say it is so strong, we are driven to use other words
and signs to say what we really mean. And many times the
meaning never gets communicated at all and the other person
is left feeling unloved and unwanted.
*Therefore, we have
to LISTEN FOR LOVE in the words that people are saying to
us. Sometimes the explicit words are necessary, but more
often, the manner of saying things is even more important.
A joyous insult carries more affection and love within the
sentiments which are expressed insincerely.
*An impulsive hug
says I LOVE YOU even though the words might be saying very
different.
*Any expression of
a person's concern for another says I love you. Sometimes
the expression is clumsy, sometimes even cruel. Sometimes
we must look and listen very intently for the love that
contains. But it is often there, beneath the surface.
*A mother may nag
her son constantly about his grades or cleaning his room.
The son may hear only the nagging, but if he listens carefully,
he will hear the love underneath the nagging. His mother
wants him to do well, to be successful. Her concern and
love for her son unfortunately emerge in her nagging. But
it is love all the same.
*A daughter comes
home way past her curfew, and her father confronts her with
angry words. The daughter may hear only the anger, but if
she listen carefully, she will hear the love under the anger.
"I was worried about you," the father is saying.
'Because I care about you and I love you. You are important
to me.'
*We say I love you
in many ways - with birthday gifts, and little notes, with
smiles and sometimes with tears. Sometimes we show our love
by just keeping quiet and not saying a word, at other times
by speaking out, even brusquely. We show our love sometimes
by impulsiveness. Many times we have to show our love by forgiving
someone who has not listened to the love we have tried to
express.
*The problem in listening
for love is that we don't always understand the language of
love which the other person is using. A girl may use tears
or emotions to say what she wants to say, and her boyfriend
may not understand her because he expects her to be talking
his language. Thus, we have to force ourselves to really listen
for love.
*The problem with our
world is that people rarely listen to each other. They hear
the words, but they don't listen to the actions that accompany
the words or the expression on the face. Or people listen
only for rejection or misunderstanding. They do not see the
love that is there just beneath the surface, even if the words
are angry. We have to listen for love in those around us.
*If we listen intently
we will discover that we are a lot more loved than we realize.
Listen for love and we will find that the world is a very
loving place, after all.
* It is not the presence
or absence of people that makes the difference because a person
need not be lonely even if he is alone. Sometimes it is good
to be alone. But that does not make us lonely. It is not a
matter of being present WITH someone. It is a matter of being
present TO someone.
*So remember ... If
you love someone, tell them. Remember always to say what you
mean. Never be afraid to express yourself. Take this opportunity
to tell someone what they mean to you. Seize the day and have
no regrets.
*Most importantly, stay
close to your friends and family, for they have helped make
you the person that you are today and are what it's all about
anyway.
* The difference between
expressing love and having regrets is that the regrets may
stay around.
*And yes, sometimes
love leaves, as fast as it came, it disappears, perishes.
Love needs care, nourishing and time. If love doesn’t
get the care it needs, it vanishes, without leaving a trace.
Same as like a flower....
