“I love you.” We’ve all said it. You say it to your parents, your kids, your best friend, your significant other. Some people say it as a lie. And some people say it with every bit of their heart. Either way, we say it. I’ve even said it to my coffee at 5 o’clock in the morning. Sometimes I think that’s when I mean it the most. I hate to admit it, but there was a time when I did say “I love you” as a lie. That time has passed and now I find myself saying it with more heart than ever before.

I find the words “I love you” to be more important now than ever before. I randomly look at my kids and tell them I love them. I tell them I love them when I tuck them in at night and then go into my bedroom and kiss BF and tell him I love him while he’s sound asleep. Every time I get in the car with the kids I buckle them in, kiss their foreheads, and say “I love you.” When I talk to BF on the phone I tell him I love him before I hang up each time. It’s the same with my parents.

I know there are some people out there who say, “I don’t have to say it, they know it through my actions.” I, am not one of those people. Yes, I show it through my actions with hugs and kisses, wiping away tears, packing lunches, and even setting out BF’s clothes for work. Those things are all well and good, but I NEED to be sure those I love know it and I NEED to know that they love me back.

Here are my rules for love:

1. Only tell someone you love them if you mean.
2. ALWAYS tell the people you love “I love you” before hanging up the phone.
3. Kiss you kids and say “I love you” before you drive away in the car, even when they’re in it with you.
4. When tucking loved ones in for the night, kiss them, look into their eyes and say, “I love you.”
5. Say it to those people when you walk through the door.
6. Say it to them again when you leave.
7. If you feel like saying it, just because, then say it. You can never say it too much.
8. Say it to your significant other when you roll over and look at them in the morning.
9. Never pass up a oportunity to say it to your parents.
10. And always say it to your siblings even when you want to throw snow balls at their heads.

Last night BF was in a car accident. I was asleep when he went to work and I didn’t get to say “I love you” before he left. I woke up to 3 missed calls from the donor (the accident happened across the street from his house) along with 2 texts from him saying that he was pretty sure BF was involved in the accident. I dropped my phone and started crying. I couldn’t believe that I had missed the chance to say “I love you” before he left for work. I had no idea how bad the accident was or what had happened. My mind jumped to the worse possible scenario a horrible habit of mine. I thought that was it, I had missed my last chance to say it.

I picked up my phone and looked again, and there in my texts messages was a text from BF saying he had been in an accident but he was ok. Needless to say, I was a bit relieved. The next half hour was filled with texts saying “I love you”, and its continued on into this morning.

I’m lucky that I get to say ‘I love you’ to him for another day, but there are some people who aren’t as lucky. So I say to you, tell those you love that you love them every chance possible because you never know if it might be the last time. And when you say it, say it like you mean it so they can feel it.