by Joe Owens

Created on: December 01, 2008

Some things in our life are so good that we long for them every moment of our lives. Yet, as the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be bad. For many of us, the long for love can be a lifelong ambition. Understand I do not mean we will live our whole life without it, I just am saying that getting it with another person the first time is a passion we have. But for me, it is just as important to maintain this throughout my life. Letting my spouse know I love her every day is a priority.

I have told her several times over our sixteen years that I will try my very best to tell her each day that I love her. Not only will I tell her, I will do the things that reinforce the feelings. I can do that by listening to her as she shares her desires for the direction our relationship takes and by paying attention to the things she counts as important.

I know that in some relationships the seven letters that make up this three word phrase are used for unsavory purposes. It is not hard to say the words "I Love You". What is more difficult is to live the words. If they are said but not embodied by the actions of the speaker, they are hollow. To return to the original question, this is an example of how they may be said too much. At this point it becomes the same as "Take out the trash", or some similar pedestrian phrase.

Successful relationships are built on many tenets, such as trust, honesty, truth and love. If your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend feels you are being dishonest with your words, they will not give you what you desire. This leads you down a destructive path that most likely will end your relationship.

The key is to understand what love really is. It is not the giddy feeling you experience when first meeting someone. That is lust, or at best infatuation. Everyone loves the excitement of a new love interest. Love is a much different level of commitment. When you love someone you can overlook many flaws as you work together to build a lasting bond.

To say you love someone is to say you are willing to put aside your selfish desires to do what pleases the other. Love can fluctuate, as we are all human with periods where we have less tolerance for that annoying person who shares our bed, bath room, television remote or whatever. However, telling a person you love them should remind you of a very important point: If you have someone who reciprocates the words and feelings, you have probably the greatest earthly blessing of all!

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