For anyone who knows me, reading this article might seem like a joke. In fact, it may seem downright hypocritical. Because the truth is that I am the worst offender of the platonic "I love you". I can't tell you why I always automatically say "Oh, I love him!" whenever someone is brought up. In reality, I'm truly trying to say, I think this person is awesome, and I love knowing them!
To some people, it would be as simple as saying "I'm glad you're my friend", but for me that just doesn't seem like enough. It isn't usually a big deal, but to some people it can seem like I'm degrading the importance of the word love. To be honest, I get that, I do. However, it's not as simple for me as just flipping a switch and I never say it again. I'm probably always going to say I love you to my friends, or I love somebody. But that is where the platonic part of the situation comes in.
As much as I understand why this would be difficult for someone close to me to handle, I personally don't see much of a problem with it. As I said, it's a platonic I love you. There's this kind of love, and then there's the real thing.
The love that makes you comfortable in your own skin. The love that, when you're held in his arms, makes you feel safe. The love that you feel at home in. The love that gets you through a tough day. This is the kind of love that really matters. This is the love that you confess to the world; the love that you are proud of.
The platonic love that you might give to so many other people has much less meaning. You can tell in the way that it's said that it's not genuine - not to say that you don't appreciate the person, but it's not a true love. When someone says "I love you" and they really mean it, you can hear it in their voice. You can see in their eyes, and the way they look at the other person. You can feel it in the air around them, and for just a second, everything feels brighter.
I don't think that telling people that you love them is wrong. I can understand why some people would prefer it be kept to relationships, but I am a firm believer that saying I love you can change a person's entire life. It could keep them going when they've had a bad day. Believe me when I say that I know what it feels like to feel unappreciated, and unloved. It's a terrible feeling.
My only goal is to make sure that everyone knows that they are loved, and that they are appreciated.
