When "I Love You" means something different...

I always thought I knew what it meant when someone said, “I love you”.  Love is defined as an intense feeling or deep affection for someone.  Easy, right? When we love someone, we feel an intense or deep love for that person.

The words “I love you” have taken on a whole new meaning for me.  Now when I tell Dale I love him it is so much more.  I’m saying to him “I can’t do this life without you.” . . . “You hold me together.” . . . “You save me on a daily basis.” And my newest “Please eat healthy and be safe so you can be with me for the longest time possible.”

When I tell my sons “I love you”, it is a plead for them to know how important they are to me, how proud I am of them, and to always be safe.

When I tell my mom and siblings “I love you” it is a hope they know how much they mean to me and how grateful I am for them.  There is no way I could have made it this far without them.

When I tell my friends “I love you” it is an enormous amount of gratitude for walking beside me, mourning with me, and not making me bear this burden alone.