It can be difficult to understand other people and how they go about things. Often I find myself wondering why people put more effort into certain tasks and less effort into others. Why aren’t they as passionate about this as I am? And why are they passionate about that? Recently I had a conversation with a friend about how it’s not that others don’t care as much or are less “involved”; it’s simply that we all show our love in different ways. We all have different ways of expressing our feelings. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can sure be confusing. It’s best to look at the good side.
My sister shows her love for me by sending me cat videos when she knows I’m having a stressful week. My dad will send me an article clipping from Rolling Stone about one of our favorite musicians. My boyfriend lets me steal his Spotify premium account even if he’s using it. My roommate will get ready in the dark if I’m still sleeping in the mornings. These are specific examples for me, but everyone has similar experiences that they've probably never even noticed.
It’s important to recognize too what you do for others. Even if they don’t realize what you’re doing, it’s good to show that you care in little ways. Show your love, no matter how simply. Hold the door open for other people. Call your high school friends every now and then. Send funny links to your sister. The world is a better place when we are able to express our love and good wishes without needing to say outright “Hey, I think you’re great,” or “You’re a really important person to me,” or even “I love you” (although it doesn’t hurt to do that too).
Don’t get upset if someone important to you isn’t being adamant about their feelings; as humans, we often seem to go out of our way to make things harder for ourselves (unintentionally, I think), so in order to read people, we need to pick up on the little things. This is cheesy, but love is a language that has no limits — it often has words, but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s someone comforting you about a bad dream, or listening to you practice a speech again and again. Whether it’s your fish, your parents, or your beloved, love is necessary — in every relationship. It takes its form in respect, hope for the future, and in making an effort to make the other person happy. It doesn’t have to be romantic love; it can be platoniclove, “You are really cool and I like being around you” love, or even “I’m glad I had you around today” love. Big expressions of love and gratitude never hurt, but it’s the little things around you that should mean the most.