Te Amo

 “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.”- Proverbs 27:5

I have always been the friend that says, “I love you.” I have believed throughout my life that it is important to express love and affection and to say “I love you” often, not just to family, but to friends, as well.  I have several friends that I feel very close to, who I say this to, who do not say it back.  I am curious as to why some people do not easily say these words.  Is it that they are so powerful that they reserve who they say it to and when they say it for what they consider important items?  Do they just not love me back? Maybe they think they should not say these words to a friend, and only to family?  The thing is, I consider them as family.  It stings a little each time the words are not reciprocated, but I typically chalk it up to the fact that they are someone that does not say the words easily rather than the fact that they just might not love me.  I do not say it all willy nilly to whoever I want to, I really do mean it.  So, that is what I want my friends to understand after I say it.  For those of you that do not say it to your friends, do you want them to know that you love them?  If you do, I strongly suggest you learn to become comfortable with it and say it back.  Don’t you want your friends to know how you feel about them?  I would never want to leave this earth and have friends left behind that wonder how I felt about them.  All my close friends know that I love them- whether they say it back to me or not- they know that I love them, and that is what matters most.  I encourage you to look at yourself and consider whether you are the type of friend that tells your friends how you feel, and if you are not, you may want to reconsider.  What do you have to lose?