Those 3 Words

Are you the one to say them first? Do they scare you? Do you fear the repercussions?
I think I can safely say that my memory serves me well enough to say that I haven't been the first to utter those words to someone. Until now...
I've wanted to say them for quite some time but fear held me back. And the knowledge (or belief) that the person on the receiving end wasn't quite in the same place as me so I wouldn't be hearing it said back to me. I guess saying it and having the response of tumbleweeds whistling by didn't exactly fill me with the joys of the emotion in question - love. But then I realised that that was ok. It really was. That I didn't love this person because they love me. It wasn't about the return or the gain. It was the purity of the emotion, of the feeling. For the first time in my life I can safely say that I truly love someone. In the very best sense of the word.
And at this point I'll hand these words over to Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians (13:4-8), who is so often quoted but I believe this is because he expressed it best.

'Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on it's own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.'


I just wanted him to know. Before he got back on the plane. What can say? I'm an old romantic at heart! And I'm a firm believer that although we may have all the time in the world, we also may not. We never know what's around the corner lying in wait for any of us. Or what circumstances will bring about that one sure thing that life offers us on a continuous basis - change. So do you want to be someone who let fear dictate your actions? Do you want the people in your life to not know how you really feel? How much you really love them? If tomorrow isn't promised I think I'll seize today.

So I told him. With no expectations. And I was pleasantly surprised by the response. And do I feel awkward? Ashamed? Stupid? No. I felt lighter, happier. I felt great. Living in honesty is a beautiful thing.
As mentioned in my previous post, i'm a believer that what you put out there will be returned to you. So I chose love over fear. I spoke the words from my heart and I believe 100% that they will be returned to me. In the giving, unselfish way that they were meant and delivered from me. Only, I've learnt that they may not come from the one you bestowed it upon. Years ago I would have viewed this scenario very differently and have taken the egotistical fear-based approach. I would have seen weakness in saying those three words.
Now I know they hold nothing but power. The purist, richest, strongest power in existence.
Love.

'And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.'
1 Corinthians 13:13