Monday, July 10, 2006

You wha? You love? What did you say? You said you love ME? ME?

This quick train of thought has been circling in my head for probably a week now.

I absolutely am not able to fathom or grasp, currently, when a friend says, "I love you" to me.

Family? Makes perfect sense, not a problem. My wife, my kids, etc. That's easily fathomable.

But when it's a friend....someone not related, someone you have tremendous respect and admiration for, someone to whom you would easily say "I love you" to in conversation or greeting/departing......

Right now I'm really struggling getting a grasp, getting my arms around the concept, and I've never dealt with this before.

NOTE: THIS DOES NOT MEAN I DO NOT BELIEVE A FRIEND WHEN THEY SAY "I LOVE YOU".

I know they mean it; to me right now the issue is, well......

Why?
Why me?
How do I deserve your love?

I can think of friends, that, when they say "I love you" to me, I'm just in awe. Me? Are you sure? Of all the people you know, and as many people who love you, like you, etc.; why would you expend any energy to experience feeling love for me?

BTW----In the case the friend is a lady, it's platonically, kids, okay? Remember that. I say this because people who know me know my best friends historically have been female probably two-thirds of the time.

Maybe this is a battle I must win, a cross to bear, so that I can better understand the love between friends....and therefore have a better appreciation of GIVING that love much more than receiving it.

Because, honestly, I do have lots of love to give. And for those friends:

--longtime
--over the past 10 years, 5 years.....
--new players on the scene....

who have been sweet enough to share the most basic, yet most powerful statement referring to human relationships with me..."I love you". Two final thoughts:

1) I thank you, believe you, and I'm gonna better realize and experience your love in my heart and mind, I promise!

2) I love you, too.
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Happy 400th post! To the nine of you continuing to use All Things Witham as a sleep aid, I appreciate your consistency, even if it's for the earlier written purpose.

:)

2 comments:

Donna G said...

my children always used that phrase with their friends easier than I ever have. It is really hard for me to accept/hear too, even harder to say, but I have gotten better.

Anonymous said...

One of my sisters says it almost daily to me when we hang up the phone. She's good about doing it. She says she does it because you never know when your last conversation with someone will be and it brings her great comfort to know that she always told those she loved whenever she had the chance that she loved them!

Rob - "Love you!"