If there is one thing I have learned in the relationships in my life, it is that it is so vitally important to show people that you care. You never know how a person is truly feeling or what they are really going through. No matter how well you know someone, there may be things he or she is hiding. If you truly love someone, your actions will speak louder than your words. After so long, saying “I love you” becomes a broken record, a phrase with less meaning. There are ways to show someone you care without saying “I love you” or even without saying anything at all.

When someone you care about is leaving, say things like this:

“Be careful.”

“Text/call me when you get there.”

“Drive safe.”

“Wear your seatbelt.”

Those might sound a lot like things your parents have said to you, and as you get older, you realize that they weren’t just nagging you.

There are special things that you can say to someone that show them that you care:

“Drink more water.”

“Are you hungry?”

“How was your day?”

“Is there anything on your mind?”

“Did you eat your vegetables today?”

“Do you want to go for a walk?”

“How is your mom/dad/other significant person?”

These again might sound a lot like things parents say, but they hold a lot of meaning.

Another large part to showing someone how much you love them is listening to and retaining things that they say. Often times, he or she won’t even remember saying it, but the fact that you remembered something significant can mean the world. Remember his/her favorite color, favorite food, something he/she has always wanted, somewhere he/she has always wanted to go … making these small dreams reality or even just being able to bring them up in later conversations shows that you listen to what he/she has to say.

It may seem simple, but remembering someone’s birthday shows that you love them. Send them a simple card or text, call them, ask them out for ice cream … it’s the best way to keep people in your lives if you don’t see them often. Luckily for me, Facebook reminds me of the birthdays of distant friends that I miss. With our busy, ever-changing lives, many of my friends have moved away and we no longer keep in constant contact. Messaging them or asking to meet up around their birthdays shows that you still care.

Especially for significant others, it can really make someone’s day to surprise them with small gifts or things that they like. In high school, I had classes early in the morning, had no study halls or free periods, and often worked after school until late at night. Sometimes when it was particularly hard on me, my boyfriend would leave notes on my car. They weren’t usually very long, and sometimes they were even accompanied by flowers. Something like bringing someone coffee after hearing they have had a bad day, sending someone a note for encouragement for an upcoming event, or leaving notes on someone’s car all show that you are thinking about them.

When it comes to parents, there probably aren't any two people that love you more. Letting your parents know that you are okay every once in a while means a lot to them. Also, doing simple things for them like cleaning up the kitchen or washing their cars can alleviate many of the stresses on their plates. One thing I like to do is leave notes for my dad when I go away. I leave them in places that he will find them periodically until I come back, such as inside the bathroom cabinet, beside his keys, or on the coffee maker (which is an extra bonus in the morning).

Once we graduated and went on to different colleges, it was important for me to find ways to show my boyfriend I loved him and was thinking about him. I didn’t want to text him constantly, so I would send him a weekly card with cute sayings. Every once in a while, I would send him little care packages. For finals, I sent him a box of energy drink mix, granola bars, notecards and other things to help ease the stress of finals. When we were able to get together, I tried to let him choose the restaurant we went to or activity that we did to show that I want to do what he wants to do.

There are so many ways to show someone that you love them, without sounding like a broken record. Simple gestures can speak so much louder than words, and can leave a more lasting impact.