Love Is In The Air

These past three months the TV airwaves have been inundated with Hallmark movies. They have evolved from Christmas themes to Valentine’s themes and now we see post-Valentine’s themes! All in all, they are sweet and very predictable. Under the influence of such heart-warming movies, it’s easy to acknowledge February as the Love Month.

For me, February’s love is every day as I am gently reminded of it by a  little statue that sits on the upper edge of my stove. Given to me by my youngest when he was ten as the result of a twenty-five-cent garage sale purchase, it reads: It starts with L , ends with E and in between are O and V.

Love is an emotional need of every human being. The subject has filled books beyond counting and for decades multiple songs have paid tribute to the emotional passion built into each of us. Sadly for some, the lack of love, or too much of  it, has required hours of counselling and the very mention of the word has opened wounds that time had healed. So, I will be the first to admit that my very little contribution to this  topic is just that, very little, but I trust thought-provoking, and it might even bring a smile or two.

In 1961 I gave my boyfriend his first Valentine’s card, at least the first one from me! I recall spending a great deal of time in the drug store not far from my home mulling over many different cards until I found the perfect one, the one that spoke the emotions this then-teenage girl was feeling. I gave no gift with the card, as far as I can recall, just the card, but what a card! Although not my words directly, it spoke my heart and I knew without a doubt my boyfriend would absolutely love it. But here’s the kicker! He gave me the exact same card! I knew then that love was in the air and we were destined to be together forever! We married four years later. And I still have those cards…somewhere!

“I love you” are words of magic! Spoken from the heart, they reveal a selfless, compassionate attitude, usually toward another person. Having said that, however, I need to make a confession. Over the years of owning nine different dogs, I’ve been known to say to any one of them, “You’re the best dog in the whole world!” Nuzzling my face into its furry body, I’d whisper, “I love you.” I would promptly receive a slithering lick on my face. I think it was my dog’s way of saying, “I love you, too!” Maybe even, “Right back at ya’!”

Lovely memory, but let me be a bit transparent for a moment.

My father was a man of few words, and although he loved God, his choices in life resulted in his early death at 54. He loved my mother, of that I have no doubt, and I am privileged to have in my possession two love letters he wrote to my mother when he was stationed in Italy during WWII. The following is an excerpt from one of them.

“As you know I have always been very slow in expressing myself as to how very much I love you. Even now as I write these words I find it difficult to express myself as I feel, but I thought I would write and tell you how much I do love you and how much you mean to me. You are everything that is fine and lovely and good. I often think how fortunate I was in getting a wife that really loves me as you love me. I suppose you will be thinking I have gone daffy or something but I hope you don’t. You will probably think that I’m feeling a little blue that makes me write like this, but I feel I had to tell you just how I felt. When I think of you and the children and the love that is wrapped up in them, I will never be able to express my real feelings. I feel very close to you tonight and I am anxiously waiting for the day when I can hold you close and tell you these things.” Rome, Italy, September 12, 1944

A true love letter!

This makes me ask, when should we or when do we use the word love? Perhaps it would help if we defined it this way. Love is:
• to feel deep devotion, to worship, to adore. This is love for God.
• to have passionate affection and desire. This is love for our husband or wife.
• to like or enjoy enthusiastically, to delight in. This is love for our children & grandchildren.
• to be closely tied to another by affection or faith. This is the kind of love for a close friend.

In all circumstances (to our spouses, to our family, to our friends, and yes, even to God, especially to God!) it is appropriate, perhaps even necessary, if not overdue, to say “I love you.”

So…do you need to say “I love you” to someone today? Words that express feelings that are warm and tender? Words full of appreciation, perhaps  words seeking forgiveness or extending it? Words assuring someone how blessed you are from knowing them? We sign off letters or texts with ‘love.’ Why not express it verbally? We all need it. We all need to hear it. It sure would make the world a better place.

“My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God.
Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God.
The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God,
because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love.”
1 John 4:8 (The Message)