Use of the L-word (Love) is difficult for many of us. Part of the problem is that in English, it can be used to describe feelings for your favorite pizza, your mom, and the person that you believe you can't live without. Lots has been written about this word and the magical aura surrounding it. Many people in new relationships desperately await the moment when their "beloved" will use this word in a serious, not casual sense. I do not fancy myself an expert in interpreting the L-word, but I do know that if someone lies to you, says or does mean things to you and makes you miserable, they do not love you, even if they say they do.
If the L-word causes consternation, reluctance, and fear, the C-word (Commitment) is even more terrifying. Even fewer folks in this modern life want to be shackled by the C-word, and even more are wondering what that word actually means. Does it mean being in a serious relationship? Does it mean forsaking all others forever sexually and emotionally? Does it mean promising to travel down life's paths with someone? Because of the confusion engendered by both the L and C-words, I propose consideration of a more modest C-word: "Care."
To tell someone that you "Care" about them is a powerful statement. It is also a very positive transitional point in a serious relationship. If more people settled for "Care" instead of "Love," as the word they longed to hear, they could give their relationships the breathing room and space they need to grow and flourish. They would soon discover whether "Caring" metamorphoses into "Love" and ultimately "Commitment." So go ahead, make a bold statement. Tell the person with whom you are having a relationship that you "Care" for them. Say it tenderly, or boldly, or casually; but say it.
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