Growing up, I always heard my parents end phone conversations with the words, "I love you." It didn't matter if they were talking to each other, another family member or often good friends. It was ingrained in me to do the same. Nine times out of ten, those words ended my phone conversations and were most definitely said multiple times leaving family gatherings. For the majority of my life, this was just a routine. Of course, I did mean those words with all my heart, but I was saying them unconsciously.
I feel like sometimes we forget how much it actually means to tell someone you love them. It wasn't until I was 15-years-old that I truly grasped why this was such an important thing to say. The harsh reality of having someone I loved dearly taken from this Earth too soon was enough to shatter my heart into a million pieces. At that point, a million things ran through my mind but inevitably, as many people do, I landed back onto my last moments with him. What we said, what we did, our last hug, our last words.
There are many who are fortunate enough to get at least some sort of warning. They will rush to the hospital and tell their loved ones how much they are treasured and clear their conscious by leaving nothing unsaid. I was not blessed with that gift. He was just gone. It was this that made me truly realize why it is so important to let all of your loved ones know just how loved they are. It's hard to fathom the fact that every time you talk to them could be the last but it can and does happen.
I pray that this is something that none of you have to experience, but it very well could be. The most gut-wrenching thing that could happen would be for you to have left them in anger. So never let bad feelings stay inside or be how you leave things with someone. Live every day to the fullest and love with your whole heart. When you hug a loved one, enjoy every second because if there were ever a day that you were to lose them, you will look back on your last moments and I want them to be good. Go and tell everyone you love that you love them. Tell them at the end of conversations, when you leave them or even when you just miss them and are thinking about them. When you say it, mean it. Don't tell them unconsciously or just because that's what you do.
Always remember, in the words of Winnie the Pooh: "If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever."
The value of saying I love you is that if you lose someone, you have no regrets. It is the comfort in knowing that when they left this earth, they knew that they had your love. Love is the most important thing you can give someone. I would give anything to be able to call my lost loved ones and tell them that I love them just one more time. It is a gift to be able to let someone know that you love them so treasure it and use it.
